Daily Times

As was rightly lauded by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf vice chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday, the landmark legislation passed by Pakistan People’s Party government in Sindh against the forced conversion of non-Muslims is, definitely, a “historic achievement”. PPP deserves this appraisal for taking the first step towards upholding our founding father’s solemn pledge to protect non-Muslim minorities as “equal citizens of the state”; something that Pakistan has not yet been able to realise.

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah might have enjoyed some solace in knowing that seven decades after he had selflessly fought for the rights of the then Muslim minority group in India, his nation is finally willing to commit to his cause. The conspicuous manner in which the country has ignored — or in some cases even facilitated — the torchbearers of intolerance in targeting religious minorities is secret to none. Despite the fact that both Islamic teachings and Pakistan’s constitution do not discriminate in their recognition of fundamental rights on the basis of religion, subsequent governments have not paid any regard to the effective implementation of the writ of the state. Hence, PPP’s initiative to criminalise forced religious conversions and the resultant forced marriages is a welcome development in safeguarding all Pakistani citizens against the notoriety of some members of its own society.

However, legislations, no matter how revolutionary they may look on paper, still require vigorous implementation to actually make a difference. It would take considerable effort by the Sindh government to ensure that the religious freedom advocated in this bill is being enjoyed by all minorities living in the province. Awareness campaigns to inculcate peaceful ideals that resonate with Islamic injunctions can also be utilised to involve local communities in establishing an embracing environment.

The plight of marginalised groups as they bear the brunt of societal persecution, physical threats, and incessant attacks, both vigilante and extremist, speaks volumes of the level of intolerance prevalent in the country. More than 2.9 million followers of religions other than Islam have been targeted by terrorists in the last decade. Adding that to the frequent episodes of mob violence when orchestrated attacks have previously ransacked Christian colonies, assaulted, abducted and even raped non-Muslim women, and beat and burnt minorities at whim paints a horrific picture of active persecution and rampant discrimination against minorities. More than 5,000 Hindus leave Pakistan out of fear for their lives every year. There is an even greater stream of people from other communities seeking asylum in other countries. Nevertheless, if the state continues to put its guard down against intolerance in such dire circumstances, there remains no literal value of the white portion of our flag. Glaring hate content present in our textbooks, little to no changes in personal laws, an unchecked usage of blasphemy laws to settle personal vendettas, and the constant impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of sectarian violence are some avenues that have not yet been confronted by the subsequent governments.

The trouble, however, is that the state alone cannot be held responsible for demarcating the value of Pakistani citizenship along the tiers of religion. Whenever the society has failed to acknowledge, let alone value, the contributions of its non-Muslim members, it has further cemented this discriminatory framework. Hence, what we urgently require is a revolutionised mindset that integrates all Pakistanis in order to develop the country as a whole. Protecting non-Muslims and their rights is not only a moral obligation on the authorities but also a security imperative for Pakistan to ensure the sustenance of its diverse social fabric. Both Quaid and our national flag would expect us to fulfil our responsibilities for the sake of humanity, if not social prosperity.*