By Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan
With the start of December, a festival atmosphere is visible in Pakistan. However, Pakistan is a Muslim country with a population of 97% Muslims. There are 3% non-Muslims, which includes Christian, Hindus, Sikhs, etc.
Christians constitute up 1.6% of Pakistan’s population, which is approximately 4 million. The majority of the Pakistani Christian community comprises Punjabis who converted during the British colonial era and their descendants. Pakistani Christians mainly live in Punjab and urban centers. Karachi established a Roman Catholic community by Goan and Tamil migrants when Karachi’s infrastructure was developed by amid the two World Wars. A few Protestant groups conduct missions in Pakistan. There are few Orthodox Christians, too, and some migrated from India.
The number of Churches in Pakistan is several thousand. Only in Islamabad, a small city with a total population of 1 million and 150 thousand Christians. There exist around 40 Churches of various sizes. Some of them are quite big, while a few are small, but most are well medium-sized.
It is the Christmas season; Christians are enjoying it with full religious freedom and celebrating the seasons. While Muslims also enjoy the big sales and discounts offered on Christmas and New Year season. It is a festival moot in Pakistan and can be witnessed everywhere.
Since the freedom movement, Christians have played an essential role in Pakistan, the partition of the sub-continent, and Pakistan’s socio-economic development. Christians have been serving in the Government of Pakistan’s high positions, particularly their defense services’ role is always lauded. Bagwan Das, a Hindu, has served the most powerful post in Pakistan as Pakistan’s Chief Justice. Sikhs are serving in the Defense services of Pakistan and playing a positive role.
Pakistan is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religion society. Diversification is the gift and beauty of democracy. Pakistan has emerged as a mature and accountable state. The leadership in Pakistan is visionary and capable. Pakistan has four provinces with their own identity, ethnic groups with their traditions and culture, and several religions with full freedom.
The state faith in Pakistan is Islam, which is practiced by 96.28% of the population. The Pakistani constitution guaranteed freedom of religion, which established a fundamental right of Pakistani citizens, irrespective of their faith, to equal rights. The remaining 4% practice Hinduism, Christianity, Ahmadis, Sikhism, and other beliefs.
All religions are living a peaceful life under the protection of the Pakistani constitution. The Constitution of Pakistan protects the fundamental right of its citizens irrespective of their faith. However, a soft corner exists for minorities in the Government of Pakistan. The Government provides them additional facilitation and concessions in many respect. Like, additional holidays on their religious festivals, like Hindus enjoy an official holiday on Diwali and other important celebrations, Sikhs enjoy extra holidays for Besakhi, etc. Christians are entitled to extra holidays on Christmas and Easter. At the same time, Muslims do not have such holidays. Nonetheless, minorities also avail themselves of Muslim Holidays alike.
Some of the Hindu Temples, Gurdawars, and Churches are provided or retained by Government funding, and some of these are built by the Government of Pakistan. Or at least, the property is offered by the Government of Pakistan free of cost. In Islamabad, several Churches were built by Government Funding and handed over to local Christian communities. Of Course, some of the Churches were built under British rule pre-independence. However, the Government of Pakistan provides them funds for repair and maintenance and routine operation independently managed by local Christian communities.
Several missionary schools and hospitals exist where the Christian community gets admission on priority, and Muslims can be entertained if only space is available. In Christian’s localities in Islamabad, the land is provided by the Government of Pakistan free of cost, while utilities like Gas, Water, Sanitation, and Electricity are provided on priority.
Pakistan is a country with a 96% Muslim population, bans alcohol use, but minorities are exemptions and provided licenses and special quotas.
In the Pakistani educational system, there is a provision for non-Muslims to choose the subjects which suit them and their religion.
Generally speaking, there is no discrimination against any faith in Pakistani society and, indeed, no discrimination officially- the constitution of Pakistan provides full protection of all minorities, faiths, factions. However, criminals may exist in any religion and any culture or in any nation. If some Muslim happens to commit a crime against any minority, Pakistani courts provide them justice. Law enforcement agencies are there to offer them full security. There is such abundant evidence where Pakistani courts and law has sided with the minorities.
However, few individuals take asylum in the developed World, fabricate fake stories, and Western media project such counterfeit stories to defame Pakistan. Recently EU DisinfoLab has unearthed an Indian network spreading hate against Pakistan. It is agreed that Pakistan is undergoing a forced hybrid war by the few bais Western nations, and Western media is availing all possibilities to coerce Pakistan, especially the US and its allies. But, sensible people can differentiate between fake propaganda and the facts on the ground. Some of American and its Western-Alloy’s media is no longer dependable. It is being used as an instrument in some of the Government’s fingers to achieve their strategic goals only.
The recent opening of the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikhs between India and Pakistan, which facilitates 150 Million Sikhs around the World, is a perfect example of Pakistan’s vision of religious freedom.
The US puts Pakistan on the Watch List of countries that lack religious freedom, which is not less than a joke. It is only an act to put Pakistan under stress and leverage while negotiating with Pakistan. At the same time, the ground realities are contradictory. The society is in harmony and living together for seven decades. Pakistan is a country where freedom is much more than any other country in the World. The US keeps its eyes closed on Indian official discrimination against its minorities, human rights violations in Kashmir, Israel’s brutality in Palestine. And its brutality in Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, Latin America, Syria, Afghanistan, and other parts of the World. The US’s discriminatory legislation to bar a few countries based on their religion is the worst example of racism.
Trust, ill-motivated–designs of a few Western powers will not succeed, and sensible individuals and nations understand the facts and may not buy fake stories and negative propaganda.
Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy or views of World Geostrategic Insights).