Leaders Reaffirm Minority Rights on National Minorities Day
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan marked National Minorities Day on Monday with speeches from both government and opposition leaders, each promising to safeguard the rights of religious minorities and recognising their place in the country’s history, culture, and economy.
The day, held every year on August 11, remembers Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s 1947 address to the Constituent Assembly — a speech where he spoke of a Pakistan where people of all faiths could live side by side, free and equal.
President’s Call for Equality
President Asif Ali Zardari said the Constitution already guarantees political, economic, religious, social, and cultural rights “irrespective of religion, caste, creed, or colour.”
“This day reflects Quaid-i-Azam’s vision of a Pakistan where every citizen lives in equality, harmony, and mutual respect,” he said. Discrimination and intolerance, he added, weaken the nation. he said, according to a press release.
He also mentioned steps taken by the state: the National Commission for Minorities, a welfare fund, preservation of religious sites, and scholarships for minority students.
Prime Minister’s Message
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said minorities should be part of every sphere — parliament, state institutions, national life. “Pakistan is proud of the patriotism, hard work, and deep cultural roots of its minorities,” he said, adding that their protection was both a constitutional and religious duty.
Both he and the president paid tribute to minority citizens serving in the armed forces, civil service, education, and health sectors — some of whom have lost their lives in service to the country.
Different Voices, Same Day
In Islamabad, PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan’s strength lay in its mix of cultures and faiths — “our real beauty,” as he put it. Federal Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar added that respecting equality wasn’t just the state’s duty but everyone’s job.
Down in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah walked through the courtyard of a Hindu temple, meeting worshippers and priests. He reminded the crowd that Sindh’s character had been shaped for centuries by Sufi values of tolerance. He promised his government would take action against anyone targeting minorities — no matter their influence — and even mentioned that an upcoming electric bike program would include factory and industrial workers from minority backgrounds.
Worries That Won’t Go Away
Yet the problems haven’t vanished. European Union envoy Sebastien Lorion and other rights observers still point to mob attacks, forced conversions, and the frequent misuse of blasphemy laws. They say such incidents not only hurt Pakistan’s image abroad but also strain neighbourly trust within its own borders.
Kesoo Mal Kheal Das, the state minister for religious affairs, didn’t deny the issues. He said parliament had already cleared a bill to form a National Commission for Minority Rights — now it just waits for the president’s signature. Rights workers welcome the idea but warn that it must have real teeth if it’s to do more than sit on paper.
From Speeches to Reality
The day’s purpose was to honour progress, but it also brought a reality check. Leaders talked of unity; campaigners talked of the daily grind — what happens in schools, at shop counters, or inside a police station. One ugly incident, they say, can wipe out years of patient bridge-building.
There’s hope that the planned commission might help close the gap between official promises and what minorities actually face. For now, though, speeches have been made, hands shaken, and photos taken. Whether the fine words turn into action — that remains Pakistan’s unfinished business.
