In its founding, envisaged by Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a home for religious freedom and protection for minorities, Pakistan was to become a place where followers of all faiths would live in harmony. However, modern reality is in stark contrast with all that Jinnah dreamed for Pakistan. The country’s religious minorities—Shias, Christians, Hindus, and others—are victims of state-sanctioned discrimination, ostracism, and organized violence. These communities, marginalized more often than not, have, however, not just stuck through decades of suffering but have also actively contributed to myriad fields for the benefit of Pakistan.
The article discusses the cultural backgrounds, structural and social troubles they have undergone, their tenacity in coping with life’s trials, and the expectations demanded from them to contribute to the betterment of the nation.
Historical Context and the Roots of Marginalization
Islamic pluralism was one of the basic principles proposed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father and first Governor-General of Pakistan. In a speech delivered after independence in 1947, Mountbatten hoped that Pakistan would follow in the footsteps of Akbar with regards to the latter’s tolerance towards minorities. After Mountbatten’s speech, the Quaid rose to speak and retorted with these immortal words:
“The tolerance and goodwill that great Emperor Akbar showed to all the non-Muslims is not of recent origin. It dates back thirteen centuries ago when our Prophet PBUH not only by words but by deeds treated the Jews and Christians, after he had conquered them, with the utmost tolerance and regard and respect for their faith and beliefs. The whole history of Muslims, wherever they ruled, is replete with those humane and great principles which should be followed and practised”
– Quaid-e-Azam
This is the Pakistan the Quaid wanted, however, the political history of Pakistan crumbled, multilayered in failure, before his vision. The initial political and economic challenges filled the vacuum whereby religion became the greatest propellant factor that constituted the identity graft. Conflicts with India took an upward swing together with partition, accentuating the Kashmir issue. By swaying away from true Islamic ideals, the result was the unwanted offshoot of institutional compromises establishing the basis for the marginalization of religious minorities due to their being unwelcome in the narrative of the emerging nation.
Lived Experiences of Religious Minorities: A Closer Look
Shias: A Target for Sectarian Violence
The Shia represent 10-15% of Pakistan’s population and remain one of the most persecuted communities in the country. Heavily targeted by militant organizations as well as sectarian dislike within society, Shia communities become targets for terror groups like Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, who fruitfully promote anti-Shia ideologies, a process that involves the branding of Shia as heretics and calls for their destruction.
Parachinar Attacks: A History of Sectarian Violence
For many years, the Shia community of Parachinar, located in the Kurram district, has been a major target of sectarian violence that has gotten much worse in recent years. Parachinar, located along the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to a large Shia population that has perpetually faced ruthless assaults by militant groups. Such attacks have unfolded against a background of broader sectarian discord in Pakistan, wherein extremist factions routinely target Shia Muslims and call them heretics.
Historical Context: Pre-2024 Attacks
For many years, the region of Parachinar has been convulsed with jets of violence against Shia rites, their religious processions, and marketplaces. In 2017, a brutal bombing on a market day killed over 70 people, adding fuel to the concerns of the community. Extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other factions are spreading much of the violence, at times taking advantage of the geographic isolation of this area by carrying out attacks with impunity.
The region is home to an unfortunate deep infighting segment that has continued despite heavy military presence. In spite of demands from the community for enhanced security, attacks have persisted, leaving many in the community to live within the confines of fear.
The 2024 Parachinar Attacks
In 2024, sectarian violence in Parachinar reached a tragic peak. A terrorist assault directed against Shia Muslims on July 31, 2024, left over 200 causalities, most of them shot or wounded. This, one of the deadliest attacks on the region, prompted a storm of protests from within the country. Iran, a majority Shia country, condemned the assault and demanded regional cooperation to fight extremist groups.
This violence continued into November 2024, which saw yet another shocking attack on a convoy of Shia pilgrims in the Kurram district near Parachinar. In this attack on November 21, 2024, 42 lives were claimed. The local people expressed anger towards the government due to lack of protection, whilst businesses, schools, and transport services closed down as a form of protest.
The assaults of 2024 have increased the aggravation of sectarian intolerance and, hence, further victimized the Shia community in Pakistan, especially in areas like Parachinar. Therefore, such interminable violence galvanizes the need for immediate measures and the strengthening of security in conjunction with counteractive programs against sectarian hatred.
Hazara Genocide: An Ongoing Tragedy
Easily recognized by their distinct mongoloid features, the Hazaras have faced bombings, targeted killings, religious discrimination, and forced isolation. Over the years, the Hazaras have suffered innumerable losses of life in horrendous attacks, such as the twin bombings in Quetta in 2013, which killed almost 200 people.
Hazaras remain in peril all day, confined to a small area that is always under strict observation by armed forces. Their movement limitations have greatly influenced their education, employment, and medical treatment. Nevertheless, the Hazaras still stand resilient. Many of them have done exceedingly well in their studies, obtaining scholarships in foreign institutions, while some others are settled in dispensable livelihoods as skilled workers or business owners.
Procession Attacks: Sacrilege in Sacred Spaces
Minority communities such as Shias become most vulnerable during their religious observances. Processions of Ashura have undergone repeated attacks, bombings, and shootings into full-fledged bloodsheds of the devotees. For instance, in 2010, a procession of Ashura was ravaged by a Karachi bomb blast that killed over 40 and injured many hundreds.
Contributions and Resilience
Shias have made notable contributions to the social, economic, and political sectors of Pakistan. Some of the most eminent personalities in Pakistan who belong to Shia communities include former President Asif Ali Zardari and poets like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Parveen Shakir. The Shia are vital for the economic well-being of Pakistan in that the businessmen and entrepreneurs who pollinate trade in cities like Karachi and Lahore constitute a very important contingent of it.
Christians: Navigating Life as Second-Class Citizens
Christian communities within Pakistan are often situated at the intersection of religious and socio-economic marginalization. These people, primarily the lower-caste Hindus who converted to Christianity during the colonial era, often suffer the indignity of being confined to servile professions, such as sanitary work. Such stratification ultimately leads to the formation of a caste-based hierarchy wherein a majority of Pakistani Christians fall into the vicious cycle of poverty and discrimination.
The Blasphemy Law: A Sword Over Their Heads
Blasphemy laws in Pakistan have often become weapons against the Christians, always at the behest of minor disputes and grudges. Asia Bibi’s case reminds us of the vulnerability of the community. Asia was accused of blasphemy after she had a dispute with her fellow workers over drinking water; she spent almost ten years on death row until her acquittal by the Supreme Court in 2018. Although international pressure brought on her freedom, the case left her ostracized, and her family has had to live in hiding ever since.
Targeting of Churches
Moreover, churches, as community gathering points, become sites for frequent violence. The 2013 attack on All Saints Church in Peshawar, where twin suicide bombings killed over 80 worshippers, stands within the profile of one of the deadliest attacks that have battered Christians in Pakistan. Such a pronounced failure to provide ample security at places of worship speaks to the negligence of the state towards its vulnerable citizens.
Christian Contributions to Society
There has nonetheless been indelible evidence of the Christian imprint upon Pakistan. Educational institutions like St. Patrick’s High School in Karachi and Forman Christian College in Lahore have produced leaders in all fields. Hospitals and clinics owned by the church have catered to the medical needs of millions, especially within the bounds of impoverished zones. The gracefulness that characterized Dr. Ruth Pfau’s life, who dedicated herself to eradicating leprosy from within Pakistan, symbolizes their unwavering spirit of service.
Hindus: Custodians of Culture, Victims of Abduction
Although the Hindus in Pakistan are regarded to be the largest minority group within the borders of the state, they are found mostly concentrated in Sindh. While historically, Sindh upheld Hindu-Muslim coexistence, the last few decades saw an escalation in religious intolerance and targeted discrimination against Hindus.
Forced Conversions and Child Marriages
Young girls, usually minors, become a latent source of danger for Hindu families in Pakistan. They are kidnapped, converted forcefully to Islam, and married off to older Muslim men. Certain cases, such as that of Rinkle Kumari in 2012, show the impunity with which these abuses are perpetrated without any effective means of legal redress. Families that stand in opposition to the abduction have themselves been threatened, while, curiously, perpetrators of this crime are exonerated under the umbrella of “conversion by choice” by the courts.
Due to an atmosphere of fear created by forced conversions, many Hindu families choose to migrate to India, which has caused a brain drain adversely affecting the lower economic status of Pakistan in general and Sindh in particular, where Hindu members of the community are instrumental in agriculture, trade, and the artisan industry.
Desecration of Temples and Cultural Sites
Hindu temples are still frequently vandalized or confiscated. In 2021, a crowd, enraged by a purported act of blasphemy allegedly committed by a Hindu boy, attacked a Hindu temple in Bhong, Punjab. These acts not only snatch away from Hindus their shrines, but they also amount to an excision from the multicultural heritage of Pakistan.
Economic and Cultural Contributions
Hindus have contributed significantly to the economic sectors of Pakistan, especially in agriculture, trade, and handicraft. Along with other crafts, Hindu artisans preserve some of the oldest arts in Sindh, including intricate embroidery and pottery. Besides the considerable interaction with Pakistani Muslims, celebrations like Holi and Diwali serve to add to Pakistan’s multicultural diversity.
The Role of Constitution and Legal Frameworks
In its formative years, Pakistan had no actual constitutional framework. Instead, it relied on the colonial administration’s laws to govern an innately diversified population. Thus, the Objective Resolution of 1949 could be seen as the first significant act to promote the incorporation of religion into state governance. Even though the resolution claimed that sovereignty belonged to Allah and enumerated principles for an Islamic framework, there were equal rights for all citizens. However, with that emphasis on religious identity, the distinction between state and faith gradually began to blur in practice.
The 1956 Constitution declared Pakistan an Islamic Republic and in doing so legitimized religion’s further candor with the state. The General Zia-ul-Haq military regime between 1977 and 1988 greatly encouraged embedding conservative Islamic principles into every sphere of state policy. The introduction and intensifying of blasphemy laws under his regime severely harmed minorities. Such clauses as Section 295-C, which ruled the death penalty for blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad, became instruments of oppression. Seemingly entailed to protect Islam, these laws were generally abused to settle personal scores, seize property, or persecute minorities. These draconian provisions were a frequent bane upon Christians, Hindus, and even Shias.
Systemic Segregation
Education
The school curriculum in Pakistan has historically perpetuated biased narratives against the denizens of religious minorities and had representatives as either outsiders or antagonists throughout history. History textbooks discard or subtly misrepresent the contributions of the non-Muslim communities so as to reinforce the Islamic identity of the state. At important historical junctures, such as the heading towards partition, minorities have often been presented as traitors. Such misrepresentations are capable of instilling bias within students from early childhood.
Employment and Economic Opportunities
Most minorities are consolidated as a highly underpaid labor force in Pakistan. For instance, the dominant segment of Christians is in sanitation work, which establishes a caste hierarchy descending from their ancestry among Hindu Dalits. Sometimes, job advertisements stipulate that only Christians are to be hired or for the sanitation field, which continues to buttress the caste-based stereotype and minimizes economic opportunities for these groups.
In the rural areas of Sindh, on the other hand, Hindus, especially Dalit Hindus, often end up in bonded labor schemes, which further anchor them in their precarious socio-economic existence.
Path Forward: Towards Inclusivity
Increased inclusiveness and social justice for Pakistan must take into consideration a multiplicity of approaches, the first of which is addressing systemic discrimination and its acceptance into the broader society. Through setting forth a development agenda on education, legal framework, economic opportunities as well as community participation, Pakistan would gradually inch closer to fulfilling the pluralistic vision of its father’s founding.
Educational Reforms
Education stands out as a pillar that fosters the value system within society. It is crucially important, in terms of promoting interfaith harmony, to review school curricula. The present school textbooks often portray minorities as the “other,” creating biases in the minds of young learners. Its total elimination and the introduction of chapters highlighting the role of minorities in the history, culture, and independence of Pakistan would take the narrative off the balance.
These educational materials need to include the praises of eminent personalities such as Cecil Chaudhry, a Christian war hero, or Jogendra Nath Mandal, a Hindu politician and Pakistan’s first law minister, to serve as the national icons for the students. This can also build a shared cultural and historical heritage for students from different communities in the extended national perspective.
Still, one proper selection of alternative subjects must be for the religious minorities, engaging them in the curriculum included. The last recommendation regards such perfidies in school against bullying and discrimination as should become practices, creating a safe habitat for students across religions.
Strengthening Legal Protections
Reforming discriminatory laws is critical in meeting justice for minorities. A sensitive but necessary aspect of the blasphemy law is its legal restraints against its arbitrary use and abuse. Other amendments to the procedure, including mandatory investigations into false accusations by senior police officers and strict penalties against false accusations, are able to counter acts of abuse against the law.
Special courts dealing with cases affecting minorities will speed up justice delivery and provide meager possibilities of producing grievances against minorities. These courts should be instituted following recommendations such that judges are trained in minority rights and prepared to ensure fair treatment in their handling of sensitive cases.
Although these reforms need political will, their very essence desires to uproot systemic hindered chains and to enable access to a fairer and increasingly inclusive framework of the law.
Conclusion
The persecutions of religious minorities in Pakistan are not just a hallmark of misgovernance; they are a serious betrayal of the very foundations of the country. Muhammad Ali Jinnah had envisioned a country wherein peaceful coexistence as equal citizens of the State was guaranteed for all without any discrimination based on their faiths. Decades of institutionalized discrimination and societal intolerance have eroded that noble vision. This divergence from the principles of equality and justice has not just disenfranchised millions; it is a brick wall in the way of Pakistan’s democratic and pluralistic growth.
It’s time for both the state and society to take concrete steps toward inclusivity. Recognition of the struggle and sacrifice of these victims is just the beginning of the healing process for deep-seated animosities in Pakistan. These will have to be weeded out from the structural changes in education, law, and socio-economic structures, together with interfaith dialogue and empathy within broader society, as that alone could render Pakistan capable of honoring the pluralistic vision of its founders and become a robust, inclusive, and egalitarian country.
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Momina Areej is currently pursuing an MPhil in Clinical Pharmacy Practice. With a passion for writing, she covers diverse topics including world issues, literature reviews, and poetry, bringing insightful perspectives to each subject. Her writing blends critical analysis with creative expression, reflecting her broad interests and academic background.