KARACHI: Speakers at a dialogue described the situation of religious minorities living in Pakistan as dire, saying that they continued to face discrimination and persecution, with many being forced even to migrate from the country.

They expressed these views at the event titled ‘National Interfaith Harmony Policy in Pakistan’ at the 6th Session of 18th Youth Parliament Pakistan organised by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) held at a local hotel on Friday. The dialogue was moderated by Aleena Sadiq.

They said the change was possible only when a new narrative of tolerance was built across the nation and educational curriculum was revised as it also played a major role in shaping Muslim youth’s perspective on how to treat people of different faiths.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairman Asad Iqbal Butt said there was a pressing need of interfaith harmony in the country which had people of diverse faiths. He said the worst affected in that regard were the Hindus living in Sindh, particularly those of lower casts, whose girls were either kidnapped or forcibly converted to Islam despite most of them being underage.

Pildat organises dialogue on interfaith harmony at sixth session of Youth Parliament

“And then location of most of the girls is never known, even by the police, as to where they are taken to and whether they’re being trained as suicide bombers by extremists or exploited as sex workers by traffickers,” Mr Butt said. Those Hindus who were wealthy, their families were kidnapped by dacoits for ransom with the help of Sindh’s feudal lords, he added.

Due to that and other forms of violence, several Hindus had migrated either to India or larger cities in Pakistan in search of protection and safety, Mr Butt said. “We have reports that 1,300 Hindu families of Pakistan are living in Delhi and 300 in Jodhpur,” he added.

Moreover, he said that all blame was put on politicians for the extremism in the country, but people were not allowed to talk about the ‘establishment’ that actually caused all that by controlling, manipulating and using the politicians.

He also said changes were needed in educational syllabus to promote peace and tolerance.

Similarly, MPA Mahesh Kumar of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) stressed the need to revise educational curriculum in the country. “Our syllabus is discriminatory. It teaches hatred. Mostly it is so in the context of India and Pakistan. The books teach that Hindus are shrewd and conspirators against Muslims. However, we fail to see the history of hundreds of years of living together with each other,” he said.

He said the forced conversions of minor Hindu girls and other incidents of religious intolerance for minorities were the result of that mentality which was shaped by such teachings. Though several laws were there and legislations was also being done, the implementation was seen nowhere. “We are reaping what we sowed in the Gen Zia’s era. If we act now to correct all that, it would yield results in the coming 25 years,” Mr Kumar believed.

Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed also spoke about the issues being faced by religious minorities, including the Christians. He emphasised that the commissions made for the protection and representation of minorities should have more members from the minorities themselves. “We should learn to agree on disagreeing. But if we don’t do that and impose our opinion on disagreement, we’ll suffer loss. Challenges are everywhere, but it is commitment of people that is needed to address them,” he said.

MNA Shazia Sobia of the PPP also spoke.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025