‘Pakistan’s minorities increased over the decades’, FO rubbishes Indian propaganda

Census data reveals non-Muslim population grew from 3.12% in 1951 to 3.72% in 1998

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has once again categorically rejected the Indian government’s baseless allegation of persecution of religious minorities and factually incorrect claims that population of non-Muslims declined from 23 per cent in 1947 to 3.7 per cent in 2011.

Quoting the pre-partition data of 1941 census, the senior leadership of ruling BJP party has deliberately and mischievously omitted references to two major subsequent developments – mass migration during the partition in 1947 and separation of East Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh) in 1971, said a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Wednesday.

“Both these developments had an impact on the percentage of minority population in Pakistan,” it added.

Pakistan rubbishes India’s fudged numbers on ‘shrinking minorities’

In actual fact, the percentage of minorities in Pakistan has increased over the past decades, according to the available census data.

Total population of minorities in West Pakistan (today’s Pakistan) was 3.12% at the time of the country’s first census in 1951, which increased to 3.72% by the census carried out in 1998. Subsequent censuses also reflect a progressive increase in the share of minorities – 2.96 % in second census (1961), 3.25% in third census (1972), 3.33% in fourth census (1981), and 3.72% in fifth Census (1998).

The 1998 Census data further show that the Hindu population in Pakistan has increased from around 1.5% in 1951 to nearly 2% in 1998.

“Pakistan, therefore, condemns the distortion of facts by the BJP government and leadership to justify the discriminatory legislation like Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This attempt, however, is not surprising in view of the smear campaign against Pakistan, being waged by the Indian government, based on falsehoods and aimed at misleading its own people as well as the international community,” statement read.

The Indian government has introduced a controversial bill offering citizenship to illegal immigrants from three neighbouring countries if they belong to non-Muslim minority groups. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who have entered India illegally can apply for citizenship if they can prove they originate from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan.

The BJP government claims that minorities in these countries are dwindling, and that they face persecution due to their faith.

Pakistani Hindus reject India’s offer for citizenship

The Foreign Office further said that New Delhi’s claims are also an attempt to cover up its systematic efforts to marginalise and disenfranchise the country’s religious and social minorities, particularly Muslims.

“India’s pretentions of casting itself as a ‘haven’ for minorities are completely devoid of any credibility. The rising wave of ‘Hindutva’ under the BJP government has led to rapid political, economic and social victimisation of Muslims and other religious and social minorities, including Dalits,” it said.

“The continued incarceration and persecution of eight million unarmed and innocent Kashmiris in occupied Jammu and Kashmir is further manifestation of this blatantly extremist mindset posing a serious threat to regional security,” it added.

The Foreign Office said the discriminatory steps and vicious propaganda by the RSS-BJP nexus only further expose its real face and sinister agenda of transforming India into a “Hindu Rashtra.”

The international community is already taking cognizance and many – including the international media, civil society organisations, the UN Secretary General, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – have expressed their concerns regarding the NRC (National Register of Citizens) and the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and the subsequent developments, read the statement.

“The world would hold India to account and expect it to fulfill its responsibilities under international law,” it added.