Islamabad (Pakistan ) – Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission recently published its annual report as informed by ANI News, wherein there is a disclosure of the condition of religious freedom in the country. The report mentions the challenges faced by minorities in Pakistan. There is a mention of incidents of forcible conversion of Hindu and Christhian young women, attacks on Ahmadiya Muslims’ mosques and increasing arrests in the name of online blasphemy cases (regarding insult of Prophet Mohammad and Quran). The report demands prompt action to eliminate religion-intolerance and for preservation of human rights.
Suppression of Ahmadiyas in Pakistan
The minority population especially Ahmadiyya Muslims are the most insecure sect in Pakistan. Muslim fanatics target people of this sect. Ahmadiya consider themselves to be Muslims; however, Pakistan’s Parliament has declared this population as non-Muslims in 1974. Ahmadiyas have been prohibited not only from referring to themselves as Muslims but also following certain aspects of Islam. It is reported that about 200 to 2000 followers of Ahmadiyya Sect were killed in Lahore riots in 1953.
Only 2% Hindus remain in Pakistan
Hindu is the second largest community in Pakistan after Muslims, but the population of Hindus is only 2.14% of the total population of Pakistan (i.e. about 40.40 lakh people). The highest Hindu residents viz. 52.2% are in Umerkot District while in Thar and Parkar District, there is the highest population of Hindus i.e. 7,14,698. Hindus in Pakistan are mostly residing in Sindh Province, in many Hindu colonies.
According to the pre-partition census conducted in 1941, west Pakistan (i.e. the present Pakistan) had 14.6% population of Hindus whereas it was 28% in East Pakistan (i.e. the present Bangladesh). After Pakistan got freedom from British Rule, 47 Lakh Hindus and Sikhs came to India as refugees. Hindu population was 1.6% of the total population in Pakistan as per the first census conducted in 1951 and 22% in East Pakistan. Many incidents of violence and discrimination against Hindus along with other minority populations have been exposed in Pakistan. Owing to the Law against Blasphemy, there is increasing violence and oppression of Hindus.
Only a few thousand Sikhs remain in Pakistan
The population of Sikhs was about 16.70 lakhs. Sikhs were mainly located in west Punjab. In the severe riots in Pakistan that occurred at the time of partition, a large population of Sikhs left west Punjab and migrated to India. There are, however, different opinions on the population of Sikhs in Pakistan. According to the Pakistan Government’s ‘National Database and Registration Authority’, 6,146 Sikhs were registered in Pakistan in 2012. According to a survey by ‘The Centre for Sikh Resources and Studies’ conducted in 2010, there are 50,000 Sikhs in Pakistan, while the US State Department and other sources have estimated the Sikh population between 20,000 and 50,000. Like other minorities in Pakistan, even Sikhs have to face discrimination and other challenges.
| Editorial Perspective
Hindu Rashtra needs to be established in India to bring a change to this situation. |
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