By Shaikh Moazzam Khan
Pakistan is the best country when it comes to the rights of minorities. After the partition of sub-continent in 1947, the founding father of Pakistan, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, said that people of all religions are free to carry out their religious activities. They are free to go to mosques, temples and other religious places. That was the true ideology of Pakistan. On contrary to the Pakistani claims, Indian government carried out anti-Muslim policies and massacred thousands of Muslims after the partition of sub-continent. Quaid e Azam was true ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity. It was Indian government who rejected peaceful gestures of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Pakistan’s constitution of 1973 gives full basic fundamental rights to the minorities under the ambit of state. All religious communities can perform their religious practices in the country without any fear. Despite Pakistan’s openness to the minorities, some anti-state elements are trying their utmost to malign the country’s image over the issue of religious freedom. Some Hindu groups are playing their part in shaping the anti-Pakistan narrative over flimsy grounds. These propagandist forget that Hindus are enjoying full rights in all sectors of Pakistan from civil service to parliament of the country. There are number of Hindu parliamentarians in Pakistan’s both upper and lowers houses.
Apart from Pakistani government’s special treatment for minorities, a surge has been observed in the number of Hindu population shifting to India after passing of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by Indian government. It is evident that the movement of Hindus is a result of planned activity after CAA to mainly achieve anti-Pakistan objectives. First objective is to prove the Indian stance that Hindu population in Pakistan is facing anti-Hindu policies patronized by government, which is totally wrong. Secondly, the movement of Hindu community proves that CAA was essential to the survival of minorities subjected to grave Human Rights Violations in Pakistan which vis-a-vis stands that Indian government is using the issue of minorities in Pakistan to accomplish its anti-Pakistan objectives.
It is pertinent to mention here that shifting to some other country if promised a better living standard is a natural human behaviour, which can be exploited in own favour. Different countries announce lucrative citizenship policies for talent hunt, acquisition of trained manpower etc. Similarly, the Indian government may be luring the Hindu population for political reasons and to tarnish the image of Pakistan. Unfortunately, liberal elements in Pakistan played their due role in tarnishing the image of the country over the issue of religious persecution.
On the contrary, the living condition of Pakistani Hindus, who migrated to India for residence, is worsening. They are being denied basic rights and forced to live in underdeveloped areas of Indian states. Upper class Hindu community in India refused to accept them as Indian citizen in many states. In last two years, there were so many practical examples of treatment of Hindus in India. If a comparison of last two years is drawn between India and Pakistan’s treatment of their minorities, a mark difference can be noted. While Indian government is still self-proclaiming that it is protecting the rights of Hindus who are being prosecuted in Pakistan by hardliner Islamists.
To denounce Indian fake claims, Pakistani government and armed forces are actively engaging Hindus and providing them with special place in government offices too. Hindus are employed in all sectors of Pakistan. Recently, a Hindu citizen of Pakistan has recently become the first Hindu to join the rank of GD Pilot in Pakistan Air Force. Beside this, Pakistan is taking many other steps to facilitate Hindu community across the country. Pakistan handed over 200-year-old Zhob temple in Baluchistan back to Hindu community. Apart from Zoub temple, Pakistani government is planning to restores 400 other temples across the country for Hindu community. A 1,000-year-old Hindu temple in Sialkot city, which was sealed for the last 72 years, has been re-opened for people.
These Pakistani efforts clearly shows the intentions of country’s will to facilitate minorities. On the other hand, Pakistan Hindus who went to India for migration are being starved and forced to obey the orders of Hindu elite. Opening of Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims is another practical demonstration of Islamabad’s peaceful intentions for regional peace.
Pakistani Hindus are being attacked in India. Hindu fanatics are targeting Muslims across the country. The lynching incidents have increased in India. India has become the fifth dangerous country for the minorities to live. On the name of cast system, hundreds of Muslims, Dalit and other members of Indian minorities are being slaughtered. Indian government, instead of punishing them, is perpetrating their plans. This is the true face so called secular, extremist and nationalist India.
At the end I would suggest that India should stop interfering in Pakistan’s domestic affairs. It should mind its own business and not to provoke minorities under the perpetration of state. India is breaking all international norms when it comes to protection of the rights of minorities. It is time for the world to act against the Indian nationalist designs and put an end to human rights violation by the Hindutva inspired BJP government.