Salmaan Taseer would have tuned 77 this week. Yet the founder and publisher of this newspaper was more than a political force of nature. His was a voice that defended Pakistan’s minorities. Indeed, they feel his loss, perhaps, more than anyone; even a full decade after his assassination. Those who knew him spoke of a quit wit, exemplary business acumen and profound intellect. And, then of course, there was his politics. Mr Taseer had been a staunch PPP supporter since the 1960s and never looked back. Turncoat politics was simply not his bag. Rather, he preferred to say what he meant and meant what he said. Had he survived, there was even talk of Mr Taseer becoming the Chief Minister Punjab. Elsewhere, he positioned himself as an easy cultural ambassador of sorts, proudly defying the odds over the Punjabi festival of Basant. This was no un-small matter given that the traditional kite-flying celebration had become closely associated with the working-class. Thus, his message was clear: he stood for an inclusive and vibrant Pakistan. And this meant standing up and speaking out for minorities. But even here, Mr Taseer was aware that bombs-and-bullies were not the only threat. One wonders, then, what he would have made of the Pakistan he left behind too early. Of course, there was the landmark 2014 Supreme Court ruling that mandated a federal-level task force to promote religious tolerance while establishing a National Council of Minorities Rights. He would naturally have thrown his weight behind this. Yet the great travesty remains that no concrete efforts have been made towards this end. Fast-forward to today and current discourse surrounds whether or not the Single National Curriculum (SNC) will uphold Article 22 (1) of the Constitution, which prohibits the teaching of religion to students other than their own. Ideally, pupils should be taught an introduction to major religions. For this lays the groundwork for inter-faith harmony. But it seems that this is not possible in today’s Pakistan. If Salmaan Taseer were alive today, he would say that his beloved country needs to do better. Much better. And we could not agree more. *