KARACHI:
On the occasion of International Minority Day, President Zardari claimed that minorities in Pakistan enjoy full political, economic and social rights. However, these words ring hollow and contradict the harsh realities on the ground. In Sindh, the stronghold of PPP, which has ruled the province uninterrupted for the past 15 years, the situation for minorities is deplorable. Hindu girls are forcibly married and converted, while Hindu traders in northern Sindh are routinely kidnapped for ransom. The case of Pirya Kumari, who remains missing years after her abduction, is a stark example of the Sindh government’s indifference and failure to protect its citizens.
In Punjab, the lives of Christians and other minority groups have become unbearable due to repeated instances of lynchings and attacks along with the vandalisation of their homes, businesses and places of worship. The government’s reluctance to take decisive action against extremist elements who openly incite violence against minorities has only worsened the situation, making it increasingly difficult for these communities to survive.
It would have been more appropriate for the President and Prime Minister to acknowledge the state’s failure to protect minority rights. Ignoring the existence of such issues only hinders the search for solutions. When the highest offices of the government deny the persecution of minorities and claim that they enjoy all rights, it emboldens the violators.
Gulsher Panhwer
Johi
