In an important move aimed at curbing discrimination and intolerance against Pakistan’s religious minorities, the provincial legislative assembly on August 11th unanimously recommended that the term “minority” be removed from the Pakistan constitution and be replaced with a language that reflects the equality and dignity of all religions or trustworthy citizens.
According to various mainstream media reports, the recommendation was introduced during a special session marking the National Day by Anthony Neved, the first vice-chairman of Christianity in the Sindh Legislature.
National Minority Day, observed annually on August 11, honors Pakistan’s religious minorities who contributed to the creation and construction of Pakistan. Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, commemorates the parliament on August 11, 1947, days before Pakistan was separated from India. The government has declared August 11th as 2009 National Minority Day.
The resolution moved by Naveed condemned all forms of discrimination, intolerance, hate speech, violence or excessive effects on issues of faith, particularly involving minority girls from minority communities. It called on the state government to ensure that changes in the identity of faith or beliefs are free and only made through voluntary consent sought for information.
The resolution also called for the government to protect the places of worship, sacred places, and cultural heritage of faith-based communities, and provide timely justice, security and rehabilitation to victims of rights violations.
The House urged state governments to reserve 5% allocations and 10% scholarships for all institutions for students in faith-based communities, in addition to benefits at local, federal and international levels.
The House has also urged the government to establish a state Faith Protection Agency to monitor violations, provide legal assistance and encourage policy reform.
He also urged the state government to incorporate dedicated lessons into their primary education curriculum, highlighting an August 11 speech that focused specifically on his vision and assurance on the rights and status of Jinnah minority people.
Speaking about the resolution, Sindh Prime Minister Murad Ali Shah called on August 11, which praised the country’s founding father’s historic vision and reminded Jinnah of his groundbreaking speech.
“Here we gather in the same parliamentary hall where the Pakistani resolution was first passed,” Shah said. “On August 11, 1947, Quaid-I-Azam presented his vision to run the country, declaring that anyone could freely go to temples, mosques or other places of worship, and that religion or belief had nothing to do with national issues.”
Opposition leader Ali Kurshidi said Jinnah is opposed to sectarian prejudices, but unfortunately there have also been nationalist prejudices. “We need to take this issue seriously,” he said.
Senior Minister of Information, Transport and Mass Transportation in Sindh, Shajer Inam Memon said that while the Green Crescent flag symbolized Pakistan’s independence, its white section stood as a guarantee of the rights and freedoms of minorities.
Hindu MP Mahesh Kumar Hasija of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan highlighted his contributions to the development of minority communities in the state and paid tribute to Hindu Seth Jaj R. Vishandas.
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani said the protection of non-Muslims dates back to the times of Islamic prophet Muhammad and the Muslim caliph. He emphasized that Islam bans harm to non-Muslims, adding that minorities in his constituency were treated with respect.
Akmal Bhatti, a defender of the Minority Alliance Pakistan, welcomed the resolution passed in the Sindh Parliament, but said that simply replacing the term “minority” in the Pakistan constitution with a more favorable term would not be enough to align religious minority status with the Muslim majority.
“Articles 40 and 91 of the Pakistan Constitution restrict non-Muslim citizens from assuming the office of Pakistan’s president and prime minister. It repeatedly calls for amendments to Articles 36, 40, 51, 91, 106 and 203 of the Constitution, ends the constitutional decorative treatment of non-Muslim citizens and ends the constitutional prayers of Pakistan’s constitutional citizens.
In Pakistan, religious minorities except the constitutionally declared non-Muslim Ahmadis, account for an estimated 3.5% of the population. This includes Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and more.
Based on Pakistan’s 2023 census, Muslims make up 96.4% of the population. The census shows 1.4% of Christians and 1.6% of Hindus, but these figures are contested by Christian leaders who claim that the census will fill the population.
