- विज्ञापन -
Since its creation in 1947, Pakistan has grappled with the promise of equal citizenship for all, as envisioned by its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Yet, over the decades, this vision has been eroded by policies, societal attitudes, and state backed measures that have systematically marginalised religious minorities—Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Ahmadis, and Shias—reducing their population from 23% in 1947 to a mere 3–4% today. This drastic decline, coupled with ongoing violence, forced conversions, and institutional discrimination, points to what scholars like Farahnaz Ispahani have termed a “slow genocide” of Pakistan’s minorities. The evidence, drawn from census data, human rights reports, and recent studies, paints a grim picture of a nation failing its most vulnerable communities.
A Demographic Collapse Rooted in History
The 1941 census of British India recorded 5.9 million non-muslims in the territories that became Pakistan, constituting 20.7% of West Pakistan’s population. Hindus (14.6%) and Sikhs (~6%) were significant communities, particularly in Punjab, alongside smaller groups of Christians (~0.5%) and Buddhists. The partition’s communal violence triggered a mass exodus, with approximately 5 million Hindus and Sikhs fleeing to India. By the 1951 census, non-Muslims in West Pakistan plummeted to 3.44%, with Hindus at 1.6%, Sikhs at ~0.3%, and Christians at 1.28%. While partition was a cataclysmic event, the decline did not end there. The 2017 census reports Hindus at 1.73% (~3.59 million), Christians at 1.27% (~2.63 million), Sikhs at a negligible 0.004% (~8,852), and Buddhists at 0.001% (~1,884).
This persistent erosion suggests forces beyond historical migration at play. Farahnaz Ispahani, in her book *Purifying the Land of the Pure*, argues that this decline reflects a “drip, drip, drip” genocide, driven by successive governments leveraging Islam to consolidate power. From Liaquat Ali Khan’s Objectives Resolution (1949), which declared Pakistan a Muslim state, to General Ziaul-Haq’s Islamization policies in the 1970s–80s, the state has progressively marginalized non-Muslims and minority Muslim sects. Zia’s regime, in particular, weaponized blasphemy laws and created militant groups like Sipahe-Sahaba to target Shias, Ahmadis, and others, fostering a culture of intolerance that persists today.
Institutionalized Discrimination and Violence
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, codified under Zia, are a cornerstone of minority persecution. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom notes that these laws, particularly Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, disproportionately target religious minorities, with at least 16 individuals on death row and 20 serving life sentences as of 2012. The case of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and acquitted in 2018 after global outcry, exemplifies how these laws incite vigilante violence. Since 1990, over 62 people have been killed in blasphemy related mob attacks, with minorities as primary victims. Forced conversions further erode minority communities, particularly Hindus in Sindh. A 2019 report by the European Parliament documented cases like Rinkle Kumari, a Hindu girl allegedly abducted and coerced into converting to Islam. Estimates suggest 1,000 Hindu and Christian women face forced conversions annually, often in rural areas, with little judicial recourse.
The All-Pakistan Hindu Panchayat, however, notes that some interfaith marriages are consensual, complicating the narrative but not negating the coercion prevalent in many cases. Violence against minorities is rampant. The Center for Research and Security Studies’ 2019 report recorded 28 Shias and two Ahmadis killed in targeted attacks, with 57 Shias and one Christian injured. The Shia Hazara community in Quetta faces relentless bombings, with 24 killed in a 2019 market attack. Christians face desecration of churches, as seen in a 2015 arson attack on Gawahi TV, a Christian channel. Sikhs, now numbering fewer than 16,000, endure harassment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while their sacred sites, like Gurudwara Naluchi Sahib in PoK, have been destroyed.
Educational and Social Marginalization
Discrimination begins early, embedded in Pakistan’s education system. A 2019 European Parliament report highlighted that school textbooks portray minorities, especially Hindus, as “unpatriotic” or “inferior.” A Class VIII Islamic Studies textbook claims, “Honesty for non-Muslims is merely a business strategy, while for Muslims it is a matter of faith.” Such narratives foster prejudice among young Pakistanis, with teachers often viewing non-Muslims as “enemies of Islam.” This indoctrination, coupled with discriminatory practices like banning non-Muslims from sharing school facilities, reinforces social exclusion. Economic disparities exacerbate the plight. A 2017 study by Menaal Munshey and Haya Zahid found that minorities face barriers in accessing national identity cards, electricity, and employment, compounding t h e i r s o c i o e c o n o m i c marginalization. Hindus in Sindh and Christians in Punjab often live in impoverished ghettos, vulnerable to extortion and land grabs by local elites.
The State’s Complicity and Inaction
The Pakistani state’s role in enabling this crisis is undeniable. Jogendar Nath Mandal, Pakistan’s first law minister, resigned in 1950, citing the government’s anti-hindu policies. Decades later, the state’s inaction persists. A 2016 Minority Rights Group report documented “Disproportionate bureaucratic restrictions” and “systematic discrimination” against minorities, with authorities failing to protect them from violence or prosecute perpetrators.
The military’s historical ties to militant groups, as noted in a 2016 *Political Science Research and Methods* study, have fueled sectarian violence, particularly against Shias and Ahmadis. Recent efforts, such as the 2019 Supreme Court ruling allowing Christians to register marriages officially, are steps forward but insufficient. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 2020 pledge to protect minorities rings hollow against the backdrop of 31 minority deaths and 58 injuries in 2019 alone, as reported by *The Diplomat*. The state’s inability—or unwillingness—to curb blasphemy-related violence or reform madrassas preaching extremism underscores a deeper complicity.
A Call for Accountability
The systematic annihilation of Pakistan’s minorities is not merely a domestic issue but a global human rights crisis. The international community must press Pakistan to repeal its blasphemy laws, enforce protections against forced conversions, and reform its educational curriculum to promote tolerance. Within Pakistan, civil society and activists like Dr. OmendraRatnu, who has facilitated Indian citizenship for 2,000 Pakistani Hindus, show that grassroots efforts can make a difference. Yet, without systemic change, these are mere bandages on a festering wound. Pakistan stands at a crossroads. It can honour Jinnah’s vision of a pluralistic nation or continue down a path of exclusion and violence. The world is watching, and history will judge Pakistan not by its rhetoric but by its actions toward its most vulnerable citizens
