Daily Times

Pakistan is a diverse country where people from different ethnic groups and communities live together. Hindu, Sikhs, Christians, Ahmadi’s and many more. All these communities share equal contributions in the development of Pakistan. Not only at the time of independence but also the post independence era.

These minorities continue have struggled to uplift the statue of Pakistan. Besides all of this the minorities faces many hardships.

They have been discriminated in the name of religion, they have been discriminated at the workplace and medical centres. There was a picture I came across which had gone viral on social media which showed somewhere in Pakistan that a doctor had reportedly designated separate thermometers for Muslim and Non-Muslim patients and prescribed medicine from bottles which marked/labeled as Non- Muslim. The force conversion and force marriage issue which commonly targets Christians and Hindu communities in Pakistan.

Besides this I still introduce myself as a Christian girl and my best friend belong to Non- Christian (Sunni) background. We are a group of four friends and all three of them belong to different Muslims sect e.g. Sheikh, Kashmiri Butt and Sunni. We not only shares notes with each other but also share our food, drinks and other accessories to show love for each other. As the only Christian girl, I never found myself being discriminated.

My mentors and fellow-mates help me whenever I need them. My residential area almost belongs to 98% Muslims and 2% Christians families. We living in a rented house, our landlord is an owner of milk shop (usually called Gujar) mostly Gujar’s are un-educated landlord people who belong to strong desi backgrounds.

We are living in this house since last 5 years. I used the word (blessed) that we are blessed with a good landlord, a humble and an enlightened man who treats us like family. Our neighbor is a (hifz e quran) and a software developer living with his wife and three children. Last week his 3 year old son fell down from the stairs as he was going to the Madrasa with his other elder brothers. Unfortunately the child got a head injury. His father wasn’t at home and his mother keep on crying and asking my brother to take his son to the hospital and provide him first aid.

My brother without wasting single second held the child in his arms and took him to the nearest hospital where he got first aid. After 20 Minutes the doctor advice my brother to take this child home and told the child to rest. My brother came home with a smiling child in his arms and took the child to his mother. The child’s parents after receiving their baby paid their gratitude to my brother.

The story of love continues in our lent season where one of our neighbors arranges a ‘Aftari’ of us every year. Similarly, my mother sends Christmas cakes and Easter dessert to our neighbors every year. I proudly say that this story of love and shares never ends at any point. We continuously help and love each other. If it is an uneducated milk shop owner, doctor or an educated software developer, each and every person around us sets an amazing example of minorities happily living in Pakistan.

Many people assume that education play an important role in building man’s behavior toward society. Here I claimed that only a morally enlightened person has set a good example in the society. Discrimination has no class and no sect and may occur anywhere and at any level.

Areas of religious inequality include access to limited representation in government set up, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, the extent of property rights and access to education, health care, quality housing, traveling, transportation, vacationing, social goods and services. Apart from that, it can also be seen in the quality of family and neighborhood life, occupation, job satisfaction, and access to credit.

Racist people happily criticize the west and make statement that westerners are racists. Yet, it is west that allows Muslims to come to their countries, work, settle, bring families, and practice their own religion freely without any discrimination. One of the very best examples of this is the Mayor of London (Sadiq Khan) – who is son of a Pakistan Muslim immigrant. Despite the regular terrorist attacks, Muslims in the West are not subjected to this kind of dull reactions, which unfortunately minorities are facing in Pakistan.

Many liberal Pakistanis cling to the famous speech made by Mr. Jinnah to the Constituent Assembly a few days before the creation of Pakistan. Where he addressed that non-Muslims would gave guaranteed equal rights. Besides that, many people have forgotten the message of equality and love that Islam teaches.  The party in rule “PTI “ failed to show a spine against religious exploitation and reversed the decision of appointment of Atif Mian as economic advisor  due to his religious beliefs. Recently Christ­ians around the world commem­orate the resurr­ection of Jesus Christ. Which started from Palm Sunday followed by Good Friday and ended up with Easter, which Christian consider the most important religious event after Christmas.

Many renowned political officials and leaders tweet regarding Easters celebrations of-course it’s very encouraging point to see our leaders concern about minorities good to create a good image of Pakistan. However, it will be more fruitful if our leaders and ministers’ real concern about minority rights.

May minorities equally spread all over Pakistan and are the government should as a guarantor of freedom must use an iron hand to punish all those who break the law or discriminate against minorities in Quaid’s Pakistan .