RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN PAKISTAN Mapping in Sind and Balochistan

Research conducted: Centre for Peace and Development (CPD) South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR)

Report writer Mr. Ishtiaq Hussain

Editing and Production: Nasrullah, Manfoosa Ali, Asim Zubair

Published by Centre for Peace and Development Balochistan (CPD) D-32, Phase 2, Shahbaz Town Quetta Balochistan Ph: + 92 81 2832839 Fax: +92 81 2863140 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.cpdbalochistan.com

Financial Support European Commission

Report and cover design K. B. Abro

Printed by PrintVision Executive Summary

here are over 4 million religious citizens of Pakistan but ensuing minorities living in Pakistan with governments and power structure Hindus and Christians forming the nullified his vision. largest group. The objective of this T „ The State through discriminatory laws study is to do mapping of religious minorities in 10 districts, 5 each from Sind has made religious minorities second and Balochistan, and ascertain their class citizens. enjoyment of rights as enshrined in the international covenants and guaranteed in „ Religious minorities have been victim of the constitution and legal system in the certain discriminatory laws especially country. Districts included in the study are those enacted in Zia's era like Noshki, Bolan, Sibi, Naseerabd, blasphemy law. Jaffarabad from Balochistan and Sanghar, Badin, Tharparkat, Umarkot, Mirpourkhas „ Religious minorities don't have from Sind. equitable participation in local, regional, and national politics. 40 Focus group discussions - 4 in each selected district - were held with „ If an unwanted incidence happens in representatives of religious minority India, Hindus in Pakistan become a groups. A survey of 100 respondents on a target. Similarly, Christian community questionnaire drawn from focus group is facing more problems in hands of discussions from each district was also hard liners after Americas attack on conducted that aggregate to 1000 Afghanistan. questionnaires. Intensive literature review including different national and „ Religious minority is discriminated in international reports on minority issues in government employment and there Pakistan and newspapers/magazines should be a reserved quota for them in reports was done to form basis of this government jobs be at local, provincial study. or federal level.

Major findings of focus group discussions „ In schools and colleges, history books are: spread hatred and develop hostile attitude in Muslim students towards „ The founding father had termed religious minorities. Contribution of religious minority groups as equal minority population in independence

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 3 movement and later in development of Pakistan never gets space in textbooks. „ 93.1% of minority participates in election by casting their votes. „ Intolerance and religious extremism has aggravated situation for religious „ 97% of the respondents say that they minorities. have complete freedom in performing their religious rituals and prayers „ Religious minority members are easy target for kidnappers who ask for „ 72.7% of the respondents say that ransom. Even they kill the victim in case people of other religions do participate aggrieved family could not meet their in their religious festivals. demands. „ 30% of the respondents say that they „ If a religious minority person is victim of are discriminated on the basis of torture or discrimination, police does religion in job market. not take that case seriously. „ 39.45 respondents say that they are „ Religious minorities have unfair discriminated in educational business environment. They face institutions. hardships in recovery of credits and property. „ 29.8 % respondents cite hospitals, 23.7% government departments and „ Religious minorities are poorer and 20.2 % workplace where they face have lesser opportunities for growth. discrimination on the basis of religion.

„ Politicians and government official do Ahmadis and Christians confront not pay heed to development needs of discrimination and oppression more areas where religious minority regularly, both at the official and societal population lives. levels. Most Bahais, Buddhists, Ismailis and Parsis are highly educated, urban and Major findings of the survey are: commercial groups, with exceptional economic performance. Their general level „ Out of 5244 family members above 18 of self-sufficiency and cosmopolitan years of age, 2558 are illiterate contacts further ensure their security. These (48.8%). Related %age for male mem communities are comparatively less bers of the family is 38.4% and for vulnerable to majoritarian backlashes. female members is 56.4%. Sikhs, likewise, are not perceived to pose any social, religious or economic threat to „ 68% of the respondents say that they others; and the common Muslim view of have property in their district of living them as being 'anti-Hindu' allows them a while 9.2% of the respondents say that bit more space. The small size of the Sikh they also own property in other district community and its diversity equally allows (s). them a sort of 'invisibility'. It is the 4 million Hindus who may be in need of most „ 96.8% of male and 86.2% women support in Pakistan, because they suffer members of the minorities have from stigmatization and a lack of proper registered their votes. support networks. Bahais are still a young

4 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN and almost invisible community, which is Successive insecure and non-representative confined to intellectuals who try to keep out ruling elite, while seeking legitimacy has of the limelight. Their magazines and used Islamic penal codes like Hudood laws books are available in Urdu but the to establish discretionary punishments. fundamentalists, unlike their counterparts in These laws have been imposed on society, Iran, have not yet seen them as a threat. and vulnerable minorities, women and Muslims have been falling victim. Human While Christians may face anger for rights NGOs, think tanks and other political and economic reasons, members of civil society must come compounded by factors rooted in 'land forward, at least to mitigate negative grabbing' or racism, Hindus often suffer consequences these laws. On the one due to the Indo-Pakistani discord. They hand, these groups try to restrain states become scapegoats whenever tensions unilateralism, while trying to create a rise. Over the decades, they have been greater awareness of the sanctity and seen as 'fifth columnists'. Hindu women inviolability of equal citizenship. At another suffer from kidnaps and forcible crucial level, through documentation and conversions, and the community is active lobbying, they organize civic groups generally depressed, under-educated and to play an effective role at the local level so under-employed. The feudal nature of Sindi as to safeguard the plural nature of our society and its collaborative relationship society.. with the local administration precludes the possibility of any redress for Hindu grievances. The landless peasants, nomads A large segment of population in Pakistan and Dalits among the Hindus suffer from is tolerant and supports giving equal rights multiple deprivations. to all citizens without any discrimination. Society must foster economic and political Christians as a community are better empowerment of its people on the basis of organized, with church-based and secular equity and equality. However, religious organizations emerging to focus on human minorities also need exclusive privileges so rights. The rural nature of most of the Hindu that they could safeguards their interests. communities has precluded such initiatives. Such an initiative should stem from the On the other hand, Parsis and Ismailis (the government. Moreover, a greater latter not characterized as a minority) are awareness of the obligations and attributes the most organized and well-knit of pluralism is an urgent need. Pakistani communities. The Ahmadis are well- nationalism must adhere to plural organized and affluent, yet official and symbolism of society rather than societal anger puts many restrictions on demanding or imposing a unitary their social and religious mobility, and their nationhood. organization.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 5 6 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Forward

rom last three decades violence against weaker segment of the society and discrimination against religious minority in Pakistan is rising, The genesis of this Fdiscrimination goes when the Father of nation Quid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah died. The ruling class tried to make the new borne country an Islamic state and justify their unconstitutional rule in the country.

The situation become more worse when the General Zia ul Haq, Chief of Army Staff imposed Martial Law in the country and hanged prime Minister Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1977. He tried to legitimize his unconstitutional, undemocratic government in name of Islam and tried to introduce so called Islamic laws in the country. His whole efforts proved against weaker segments of the country especially against women and religious minorities in the country.

These steps of General Zia-ul-Haq with the support of United states and other allied countries isolated the religious minorities in the country from the mainstream and they felt as second class citizens of the country although under constitution every citizen of Pakistan have equal right without discrimination of caste, religion, gender and race.

Centre for Peace and Development as civil society organization has mandate to work for the peace, human rights and democracy in the country therefor implemented different project to promote equal rights of different segment of the society. Implementing a project to mainstream religious minority rights in the country is an initiative of CPD with the Support of European Commission and partnership of South Asia Forum of Human Rights Pakistan

This is very first study of its kind in Balochistan and it's establishes a sound foundation on which further work can be carried out. It is also true that the mapping exercise may not satisfy each group but this is a sincere effort of CPD and its Partner SAFHR PAKISTAN to high light the issues of religious minorities in Pakistan and builds his larger programme on this foundation.

Acknowledgement: This study was not possible without support from many professionals and CPD wishes to acknowledge their earnest contribution.

Mr. Ishtiaq Hussain, member Board of Directors, took lead role in undertaking this study.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 7 He was instrumental in preparing research tools, data analysis and report writing. Haji Mohammad Saeed coordinator Citizen Action Committee District Nushki, Mr. Abdul Razaq Sheikh from District Naseerabad and Mr. Sarwar Talpur from District Bolan helped research team to stage focus group discussions in their respective districts which we are really grateful The support extended by Mr. Asfandyar Khan for developing the software for data analyses is highly appreciated

The male and female enumerators from all ten districts of both Provinces deserves special acknowledgment for their efforts in hot weather. They visited different areas of target districts, filled the survey forms and conducted the focus group discussions. Many people reviewed the draft report and provided their inputs which enable us to improve its quality, we are thankful for their inputs. Finally, our thanks to participants of focus group discussions and respondents of the Questionnaire

Nasrullah Barech Executive Director Centre for Peace and Development

8 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Contents Executive Summary (i) 3 Forward/Acknowledgement (iii) 7 Table of Contents (IV) 9

Introduction and Background of the Study 11 Introduction Objectives Scope Research Methodology Limitations Division of Report

Brief Profile of Religious Minorities in Pakistan 13 Population Christians Hindus Ahmadies Sikhs Parsis Bahis Kalash

Minority Issue in Pakistan 21 Founding Father's Democratic Vision of Pakistan Partition and Demographic Changes The Blurring of State and Religion Tricks of Constitutions Exclusion from 1973 Constitution Zia-ul-Haq's Constitutional Amendments Anti-blasphemy Code and Legal Exclusion Political Separatism Majoritarian Pakistan Institutional Segregation

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 9 Mapping of Religious Minorities in Project Districts 43 Bolan Noshki Jaffarabad Naseerabad Sibi Badin Sanghar Tharparker UmarKot Mirpurkhas

Issues and Recommendations 55 Issues Conclusion The Way Forward Recommendation

Annexures 65 Detail of Focus Group Discussion Questionnaire Tabulation of Statistical Data Bibliography

10 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Introduction and Background of the study

enter for Peace and Development Objectives (CPD) in partnership with South Asia The overall objective of the religious CForum for Human Rights (SAFHR) is minority mapping is doing in-depth implementing a three years project on analyses of demography and state of "Mainstreaming Minority Rights in religious minorities in 10 districts of Pakistan" in Sind and Balochistan with Balochistan and Sindh and to ascertain the funding from the European Commission. enjoyment of whole range of rights enshrined in the international covenants The project aims at building the capacities and guaranteed in the constitution and of the members of religious minorities in 10 legal system in the country i.e. cultural, districts of two provinces of the country. social, economic and political rights as a The supplementary aim is to sensitize community and as individual citizens and media, civil society and government to find out structures and mechanisms that institutions about the issues and concerns of inflict injustice, discrimination and religious minorities in Pakistan. The project marginalization of religious minorities. will raise awareness among minority communities and other stakeholders on the Scope use of various United Nations, European This research work is carried out on Union and National Instruments as a mean minorities in 10 districts of Balochistan and to address the issues of religious minorities Sind. The district of Balochistan are so that they enjoy equal citizenship rights. Noshki, Bolan, Nasserabad, Jaffarabad and Sibi while districts of Sind are The key elements of the project are analysis Umarkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Tharparkat of the state of religious minorities through and Badin. mapping, examine the discriminatory laws and policies, exchange the ideas among Research Methodology various religious minorities in the country The study used both survey and focus through creating linkages and to link group discussions as primary data minority communities with mainstream collection instruments. human rights community, media and policy makers so that minority rights became a The project arranged 40 focus group part of mainstream political discourse in discussions, 4 in each district, involving the country. This study is the first milestone representatives of minority groups (Annex of project interventions. 1). There was good participation of both sexes in all FGDs. Each discussion

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 11 facilitated by an experienced moderator of the report. lasted almost 2 hours. Moderator adopted flexible yet disciplined approach. The Division of the Report participants openly shared their issues and This report is divided into four sections. potential remedies. Notes were taken from those discussions and are well reflected in Section 1 presents brief profile of minorities main text of this report. in Pakistan. Population of minorities in the country and status of each minority is Following FGDs, a questionnaire was separately given under this section. prepared to know more about demographic, social, economic and Section 2 presents current status of political aspects of minorities (Annex 2). minorities at large in Pakistan by 100 questionnaires were distributed recounting the historical events. This section among minority population in each district comprehensively presents different social, (total 1,000). Questionnaire was political and legal instruments leading administered in areas where significant towards discrimination of minorities. population of minorities live. The questionnaire was properly tested both in Section 3 presents mapping of minorities in Quetta and Karachi. Data Collectors were 10 districts of Pakistan, 5 each in provided one day training on asking, Balochistan and Sind. clarifying and recording the responses. SPSS and customized MS ACCESS Section 4 presents issues of minorities and database are used to tabulate and analyze recommendation for resolving those issues. the information received through survey. Statistical table are given in Annex 3 while Finally, annexure provide additional findings are part of main text of this report. support material on statistical data drawn from the survey, questionnaire, and Extensive literature review was done to bibliography for further reading. form basis of the study and analysis of findings from focus group discussions and survey. Reports from different organizations, research reports, magazines and articles/news from different newspaper, and numerous websites were consulted in writing this report.

Limitations The research work was done only in Sind and Balochistan and an overwhelming majority of the respondents are Christians and Hindus. Though data collectors were adequately trained on the use of questionnaire, there is minute likelihood of not filling few questionnaires properly. However, there should not any significant impact of data collection errors on findings

12 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Brief Profile of Religious Minorities in PAKISTAN

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 13 14 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Population

akistan's population in 2008 is 3,663,167. Two years later, the estimated to be 163.3 millions. aggregate figure stood at 4,267,463; with According to 1998 Census the Christians and Hindus almost equal at population was 137 million. 2,061,306 and 2,007,743, respectively. P The Ahmadis, Parsis, Buddhists, Sikhs and Muslims account 96.16% while non- Muslims (religious minorities) 3.84% of the others were estimated to be 163,982; population. 11,021; 4,150; 3,374; and 15,888,

Percentage Population by Religion 1998, Pakistan Muslim Christian Hindu (Jati) Qadiani Scheduled Cast Others All Areas 96.16 1.69 1.40 0.35 0.33 0.06 Rural 96.49 1.10 1.80 0.18 0.34 0.08 Urban 95.51 2.82 1.22 0.34 0.06 0.04 Source: Census Report of Pakistan, Pakistan Census Organization

According to the census of 1981, out of a Survey Findings total of 84,253,644, Muslims accounted for 81,450,057; followed by 1,310,426 „ 17.25% of minority population falls in age Christians; and 1,276,116 Hindus, bracket < 5 years, 27.65% in age bracket 6 - 17 Ahmadis accounted for 104,244; Parsis years, 21.69% in age bracket 18 - 25 years, while 7,007; Buddhists 2,639; Sikhs 2,146; 29.73% is age bracket 25 - 60 years. and' others' 101,009. Because of a de- emphasis on family planning, and the „ In almost 50% households there are 2 - 3 arrival of millions of Afghan and some men/women above 18 years of age. Iranian refugees, population growth within the country has been immense. In 1990, it „ 21.39% of minority population have matriculation was estimated that the minorities were 3.1 or higher qualification. per cent of the total population. According to these estimates, there were 1,769,582 Christians in Pakistan; 1,723,251 Hindus; respectively. It is interesting to note that 9,462 Parsis; 3,564 Buddhists; and 2,898 even the Parsis, despite some outward Sikhs, while the 'others' collectively were migration, had registered a slight increase 1 estimated to be 13,640. The total figure . The census of 1998 showed the for the minority population was minorities nearing 11-13 million. Ahmadis, Christians and Hindus claim to have a

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 15 population of 4 million each. As already mentioned, for the smaller Given the disadvantages and religious minority communities - including stigmatization, communities do not like to Buddhists and Jains - there are no statistics, be identified as minorities so the above- and little reliable information. They are mentioned figures may be an under- known to be tiny groups who prefer to estimate, as some people may not have remain out of the public eye. chosen to identify their ethnic or religious background2. There is generally no Christians The adherents of Christianity are the largest population figure available for Pakistan's religious minority community in Pakistan. smaller minority communities. Overall, Christians account 1.59% of population; minorities represent 8 per cent of the total however, current number of Christians is population. Pakistani minorities consist of debatable as i.e. Catholic Church's record Ahmadis, Bahais, Buddhists, Christians, of births contains higher figures than this. Hindus, Jains, Kalasha (of Chitral), Parsis The figure normally quoted is around 2.5% and Sikhs. Except for the Ahmadis, they all or 3%. In 1998 there were 1,400,000 agree on their being non-Muslim. Within members of Protestant Church. these communities there are caste-based, class-based and denomination-based The post-partition changes in the economy divisions; along with age, ethnic, gender, along with the positing of Pakistani identity rural and urban distinctions. Any on Islamic uniformity have added to an superficial categorization is open to anti-Christian sentiment. For example, dispute. For example, among the 4 per many Christians in Punjab were originally cent of the Pakistani population who are farming communities but after Christian, there is an almost 50-50 divide independence a number of them became between the Catholic and the Protestant landless and had to work as sweepers denominations. Cities like Peshawar, and which further stigmatized them. Some hold areas of Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, the view that the Christians in particular Rawalpindi and Quetta, have always had and other non-Muslim comm1unities in a sizeable number of Christians engaged general, had largely been responsible for in various professions in the service sector. the social betterment of the communities The church organization is very similar to other South Asian countries with a definite Pakistani cultural and linguistic embodiment, and there are converts, descendants of converts, Anglo-Indians/- Pakistanis, and Western missionaries. Hindus are equivalent in number to the Christians, with almost 4 per cent of the population. There are several castes among the Hindus, besides ethnic diversity. Over 65 per cent of the minority population is young people, and the average literacy rate in a few cases is higher than the national average; however, the other facts are not so pleasing.

16 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN now living in Pakistan through their maintain a low profile in terms of educational institutions established during evangelism and gripes, to hunker down, the British era. The nationalization under protect the real estate from vultures without Bhutto not only removed these prized and within the community, maintain good institutions but Pakistani society then forgot relations with the Muslim power brokers the Christian (and other) contributions to and hope that the Christian poor will the country as a whole. The large number remain faithful. of foreign mission workers visit Pakistan, given the tortuous procedures required for Other than via agriculture and educational obtaining resident and work visas. The institutions, Christians like many other non- indigenously led churches do not require Muslims, have fewer chances to move up foreign workers in administration, and the the socio-economic ladder. As shown in absence of any confessed strategy of various studies by human rights groups and witness and evangelism to the especially by the Christian Study Centre overwhelming Muslim majority would seem (CSC) in Rawalpindi, Christians and other to minimize opportunities for foreigners to non-Muslims are routinely kept out of be useful. Foreign church funds do sustain higher positions both in the civil and armed the social service projects which funds spill forces - which feeds into a greater sense of over to help many poor Pakistani Christians inequality. This is happening, despite these who find little outreach otherwise from the groups' role in the making, running and Pakistan churches. Many services to the defending of Pakistan, this lack of trust only Christian poor, including drug education further dis-empowers a vast section of and rehabilitation programs, institutions for competent Pakistanis, Ironically, most the handicapped and food programs are Muslim Pakistanis know nothing of sustained by outside funding and the minorities' significant contributions towards compassion of foreigners, particularly the the making and defending of Pakistan. omnipresent nuns. This promotes residual Academics and journalists have largely gratitude toward foreign Christians and failed to report this vital information. highlights the leadership limits of the local officials One of the largest headaches Hindus these Christians will face concerns real After the Partition of India, Hinduism had a estate. The church spires that dominate much smaller numerical presence in the Pakistan's major cities are legacies of newly reated state of Pakistan, In August British rule when large tracts of prime real 1947, at the end of British Raj, the estate in the Raj cantonment areas -- now population percentage of Hindus in what the downtowns of Karachi, Lahore, Quetta is today in Pakistan was perhaps as high and Pindi - were dedicated to cathedral as 15-20%, but would drop to its current and parish uses. After independence in total of less than 2 % in the years since 1947 most of this real estate passed to the partition. According to the 1998 Pakistan native Christian churches. The upkeep of Census, caste Hindus constitutes about 1.6 these old buildings and the need to fend off percent of the total population of Pakistan Muslims and dissident Christians who want and about 6.5% in province of Sind. The the land preoccupy the country's Protestant Pakistan Census separates Schedule Castes 3 and Catholic hierarchies . from the main body of Hindus who make up a further 0.25% of national population. Most pastors believe the best way to keep Pakistan has the fifth largest population of Christian-Muslim relations calm is to native Hindus. The 1998 census recorded

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 17 Christians, they have generally been given Province Hindu Population %age fewer rights informally (de facto) by the Sind 2,280,842 93.34 Muslim majority than the country's Punjab 116,410 4.76 Christians, even if de jure Hindus have 4 NWFP 7,016 0.29 equal rights under the law .

Balochistan 39,146 1.6 In general, Hindus resort to nonviolent Islamabd 200 0.01 tactics, and they are likely to continue the Total 2,443,614 100 political action that began in 1998. As the

2,443,614 Hindus in Pakistan.

Districts hosting majority of Hindu Population in Sind are Tharparkar (370,014) and Khairpur (43,616); in Punjab are Rahim Yar Khan (75,400) and Rajan Pur (11,400); in Balochistan are Sibi and Naseerabad; and in NWFP are Peshawar (1100) and Manshera (1000) Hindus are most concentrated in the Sind province of southeast Pakistan. Before partition, most Hindus in present-day Pakistan were urban, highly educated and economically advantaged.

However, most middle and upper-class Pakistani Hindus immigrated to India after the 1947 partition of the sub-continent. Those that remained tended to be poorer and rural. Lacking the resources to organize politically (large numbers are bonded labor), Hindus have remained politically and economically marginalized in Pakistan.

Hinduism, once the main religion in present Hindu population gains confidence in their day Pakistan, has endured many conquests political organizations and if they continue and invasions, different rulers, and to build alliances with other minorities, their ultimately political separation from the condition may improve5. Some mainstream Hindu-majority India. Hindus as a minority Pakistani parties, including the Sind in Pakistan have had considerably fewer Democratic Party and individual Muslim privileges, rights and protections. Cultural intellectuals have expressed support for marginalization, discrimination, economic Hindu aspirations. Hindus still remain at hardships and religious persecution have risk for intercommunal violence. However, resulted in many Hindus converting to other political alliances with other communities religions (Islam, Christianity). Because and secularly oriented parties may Hindus are not "People of the Book" like alleviate this danger. The stability of Sind

18 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN could depend on such alliances, as they may be necessary to meet the desperate Ahmadis have been the focus of attention resource needs of many ethnic groups. due to the issue of their faith. Intermarriage and open social interaction remain The Pakistan Hindu Panchayat and the minimal. Many Ahmadis neither openly Pakistani Hindu Welfare Association are profess their identity nor congregate the primary civic organizations that visibly, so as to avoid hostile attention represent and organize Hindu communities on social, economic, religious and political Sikhs issues The Sikhs are again mostly Punjabis with smaller traditional communities in Karachi Ahmadies AKA Qadiani AKA Mirzai and NWFP. There are a few Sikhs in the According to 1998 Census, Ahmadies tribal areas that are bilingual and have a account 0.22% of the population. The close relationship with Sikhs in Ahmadis are divided into the Lahori and Afghanistan. During the Taliban's Qadiani groups. Both the leadership - ascendancy, many Afghani Sikhs migrated London-based - and the elite of the abroad, with just a small number coming to movement are predominantly Punjabi, with Pakistan. The Sikhs remain reasonably smaller communities in other provinces. secure compared with other religious Most Ahmadis are from central Punjab but communities, as most popular resentment is are scattered across towns and cities. After reserved for Christians and Hindus. their designation as a non-Muslim minority, many moved to Europe and elsewhere, Parsis although their cultural, family and Parsis are strictly an urban and language links with the Punjab remain entrepreneurial community based in strong. Most of their propagation activities Karachi and Lahore, with a few families in have shifted to the West. Their television other major cities. Due to their strong programmes, largely beamed from commercial links, the non-evangelical London, in English, German, Urdu and nature of their faith and a steady outward other languages, generally centre on migration to North America, the Parsis religious issues, with Urdu programmes on remain 'less visible' in Pakistan, and there MTA (Muslim Television Ahmadiyya) are no reports of harassment or anger focusing on the leader, Mirza Tahir specifically directed against them. Some Ahmad, and his teachings. Their Parsis, like Bahram Avari, Bapsi Sidhwa, publications view their designation as a minority as politically motivated. However, they do not dispute the claim of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the movement, to be the Messiah/Mahdi or Mehdi-i-Mauood (the promised prophet). Founded in 1889, the movement initially remained confined to the Punjab and some of its leaders, like Sir Zafrullah Khan, played a very important role in the freedom movement, but then the tables were turned on them with the demand to designate them as a minority.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 19 the Dinshaws, the Markers and the well- century, Kalasha (locally called 'Kafirs' as known columnist, Ardeshir Cowasjee, are well), have been under great pressure to national role models. convert to Islam. Their division by the Bahais Durand Line - the Pakistan-Afghan border - The Bahais are, in general, converts and did not help. In the 1890s, Amir Abdur middle-class urbanites who publish Rahman, the religious King of Kabul, magazines and books but keep a very low forcibly converted many of the Afghan profile. The Bahai religion began in Iran Kalasha to Islam. Some of them sought (Persia) in the nineteenth century before protection on the Pakistani side of the Line. spreading to South Asia. So far they have Their isolated, mountainous region and escaped any collective anger from other way of life has protected them from outside majority communities due to their small influences. Their ever-dwindling number is number and limited activities. around 3,000 and even national statistics tend to ignore them. However, the tourist Kalash attraction of their valleys in the Hindu Kush, their gender-based equality and a growing The Kalasha of Chitral are an old accent on Islamic activism since the 1970s community, who have always held a have put these small communities under a romantic fascination for the British and spotlight. The uniform school syllabus and Pakistani popular media, and also for emphasis on Urdu and Arabic in the present-day anthropologists. There are official schools in the valleys are barriers to various myths about their origins, including Kalasha maintaining their own religio- some regarding Greek ancestry. In the past cultural identity. There have been reports of they ruled Chitral, although now they live in Kalasha women being kidnapped, and of three small, land-locked hamlets and are forcible conversions. extremely poor. Since the late nineteenth

20 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Minority Issue in Pakistan

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 21 22 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Founding Father's Democratic Vision of Pakistan

n the 1930s and 1940s, the demand represented a utopia, and for others it held for a separate Muslim state evolved as the promise of a trans-regional Muslim 7 a focal point for converging identity in a revivalist sense . socioeconomic forces, varying from I Pakistan was envisioned as a progressive, economic improvement to cultural and intellectual renaissance. For the emerging democratic and tolerant society, which, Muslim elite in British India, Pakistan would while retaining Muslim majority, would offer a cohesive, binding force, enabling give equal rights to its non-Muslim citizens. disparate Muslim communities to break free Without calling it a secular state, Jinnah of permanent bondage to an overpowering and his modernist Muslim colleagues majority6. To the landless peasants, it believed that Pakistan would improve its Excerpts from Mohammad Ali Jinnah Interview on July 14, 1947, in New Delhi

Q. Could you as governor-general make a brief statement on here or that man there. You must remember that in every the minorities problems? country there are crooks, cranks, and what I call mad people. A. At present I am only governor-general designate. We will assume for a moment that on August 15 I shall be really the Q. Would you like minorities to stay in Pakistan or would you governor-general of Pakistan. On that assumption, let me tell you like an exchange of population? that I shall not depart from what I said repeatedly with regard to A. As far as I can speak for Pakistan, I say that there is no the minorities. Every time I spoke about the minorities I meant reason for any apprehension on the part of the minorities in what I said and what I said I meant. Minorities to whichever Pakistan. It is for them to decide what they should do. All I can community they may belong will be safeguarded. Their religion say is that there is no reason for any apprehension so far as I can or faith or belief will be secure. There will be no interference of speak about Pakistan. It is for them to decide. I cannot order any kind with their freedom of worship. They will have their them. protection with regard to their religion, faith, their life, their Q. Will Pakistan be a secular or theocratic state? culture. They will be, in all respects, the citizens of Pakistan A. You are asking me a question that is absurd. I do not know without any distinction of caste or creed. The will have their rights what a theocratic state means. and privileges and no doubt along with this goes the obligations of citizenship. Therefore, the minorities have their responsibilities A correspondent suggested that a theocratic state meant a state also, and they will play their part in the affairs of this state. As where only people of a particular religion, for example Muslims, long as the minorities are loyal to the state and owe true could be full citizens and non-Muslims would not be full citizens. allegiance, and as long as I have any power, they need have no A. Then it seems to me that what I have already said is like apprehension of any kind. throwing water on a ducks's back. When you talk of democracy I Q. What are your comments on recent statements and speeches am afraid you have not studied Islam. We learned democracy of certain Congress leaders to the effect that if Hindus in Pakistan thirteen centuries ago. are treated badly they will treat Muslims in Hindustan worse? A. I hope they will get over this madness and follow the line I `Source: "Jinnah's Speeches and Statements" published by Oxford am suggesting. It is no use picking up the statements of this man University Press

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 23 people's socio-economic conditions, and League's assurances to minorities, its that people of all faiths and practices would Muslim credentials were pronounced both continue to live as equal citizens8. On 11 during the colonial and national periods. August 1947, in his oft-quoted speech to Another view considers the enduring the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, contest between the religious and the Jinnah said: liberal positions regarding nationalism. Like the Muslim League and other Islamic parties ' … You are free; you are free to go to your temples, such as Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), the Indian you are free to go to your mosques or to any other National Congress was arrayed against the places of worship in the State of Pakistan. You may Hindu Mahasabah and other such belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has fundamentalist groups. The weakening of nothing to do with the business of the State … We modernist forces from inertia, exhaustion or are starting with this fundamental principle: that we disarray, allowed rival forces to seek are all citizens and equal citizens of one State. Now, power. As with the Hindu Bharatiya Janata I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal Party (BJP) in India, the Islamicist forces in and you will find that in course of time Hindus would Pakistan have rewritten South Asian history cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be to suit their religious views. Others see the Muslims, not so in the religious sense because that rise of unilateralism over pluralism as being is the personal faith of each individual, but in the due to economic and political reasons. To political sense as citizens of the state.' such analysts, the masses' continued economic and political disempowerment This is considered to be the charter of has given the opposing forces a way in as Pakistan and summation of Jinnah's views they are proposing an alternative, however on the role of religion and the state. Many simplistic, to the 'Westernized' elements. A of his colleagues shared his vision, unlike further opinion sees the roots of several Muslim religio-political parties in xenophobia as embedded in the nature India who felt that the idea of Pakistan was and aspirations of South Asia's middle an anathema because secular and classes, for whom regional and sectarian 'Westernized' Muslims were fielding it. identifications remain paramount. Others However, the Indian Muslim majority voted look to the role of individuals like Zulfikar for the Jinnah-led Muslim League. But, over Ali Bhutto and Zia ul-Haq, among others, the succeeding decades, especially in the who coopted and encouraged obscurantist 1970s and 1980s, the Pakistani state, forces - either to seek legitimacy or simply rather than guaranteeing equal rights and to generate a following. Finally, the equal opportunities to its Muslim and non- globalists may see political Islam re- Muslim citizens, began to encourage emerging as the rallying point to counter obscurantist forces. Why this major shift the overpowering forces of Westernism. happened is of critical importance. There are several scholarly opinions about this Pakistan's shift from a Jinnahist to a more change in Pakistani official and societal Jihadi (Islamic fundamentalist) course has attitudes. nothing inevitable about it, as most of its people still believe in tolerance and According to some, the demand for coexistence and would like to revert to the Pakistan hinged on Muslim majority original dream9. Since 1947, the provinces and used Islamic symbols, thus acrimonious Indo-Pakistani relationship has retaining a Muslim majoritarian bias. This seriously affected inter-community is a powerful argument: despite the Muslim relationships. While Muslim anger was

24 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN directed against Hindus in Pakistan, Muslims, were generally secular. They in India, Muslims have been perceived as stipulated a limited franchise, however, scapegoats by Hindu fundamentalists. based on age, education, land holding and tax payment. In this exclusionary process of nationalism(s), other communities have Thus, everyone wanted a new Constitution. been deeply affected, including Christians Further, for Pakistan to have its own in both countries, and Ahmadis and Shias political identity, it was felt that it should in Pakistan. Yet the concept of have its own Constitution rather than majoritarianism is fallacious, as both Islam continuing with imperial traditions and and Hinduism are not monolithic. In rules. Moreover, Pakistan wanted to look Pakistan, the growing emphasis on different from India, where there was a 'Muslimness' has not only caused justifiable growing demand for a secular system. The concern among non-Muslims, but the intra- Pakistani elite wanted to construct a Muslim ideological divides have also pronounced Muslim identity. Subsequently, become more apparent, finding 'enemies many regimes would use the Islamic factor, from within'. not only for nation-building purposes but also for legitimizing their policies. This Jinnah's Vision Vanishes interdependent relationship, especially Jinnah had envisioned Pakistan as a during the 1980s, did not bode well for tolerant and egalitarian society. He Pakistan and its minorities. exhorted the Pakistani leaders to rise above religion, caste and creed in granting equal Since Pakistan's inception, the pace and rights, privileges and obligations to all variety of movements and upheavals have Pakistanis. He hoped that people would, in been enormous but, to many observers, time, forge stronger links across the various administrative and economic structures boundaries without necessarily have been static. In short, the state and relinquishing their religious views. That is society have failed to achieve where he demarcated the differences interdependence. between being part of a religious community and part of the nation, where The inertia and inefficiency of the state are the former would not affect the latter. This well known, and it has shied away from separation of religion and state was to be reform. based on tolerance and equity. Pakistan inherited the tradition of cooption Jinnah's vision of constitutional politics was and patronage from the Raj, and this has thwarted by a growing accent on largely continued. Further, much-needed administration rather than governance. The land reforms are largely yet to materialize. regional disparities between East and West In the 1950s, land reforms were introduced Pakistan were used to delay the framing of in a partisan manner, as they were a Constitution. In the meantime, the Indian implemented in the eastern wing; whereas Act of 1935 and the Independence Act of feudal West Pakistan remained untouched. 1947 remained the constitutional Most of the politicians in Pakistan's guidelines for the regimes. These Assemblies come from feudal families and documents, dating from the Raj, despite they have generally maintained their their inherent communitarian definitions politico-economic interests. Zulfikar Ali and the idea of separate electorates for Bhutto's land reforms in 1972 were

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 25 cosmetic as landowners were advised in preservation. Their links with the advance to distribute their properties professional classes further guarantee the among their families. It is interesting to note protection of their class-based interests. that the religious ulama (important body of Muslim clerics), despite their lower middle- In contrast to the land-based elite and class or peasant origins, have not upper-class, urban professionals, the campaigned for the eradication of middle class remain divided on ethnic and feudalism. The feudal families are, in most sectarian lines. Academics, artists, human cases, well educated and have close links rights and political activists, journalists, with the ruling elite. Some of these families lawyers, local non-governmental follow outdated practices towards non- organizations (NGOs) and even ulama Muslims, women, tenants and rivals. remain divided and region-specific due to limited resources and ideological Further, some of the heinous practices such differences. as 'honor killings' or marriages with Qur'an (mock marriages) are prevalent among the Partition and Demographic Changes feudal families of rural Sind. Feudalism in The partition of the Indian sub-continent into Pakistan has, ever the decades, become India and Pakistan in August 1947 resulted well-entrenched. in one of the largest and most rapid migrations in human history with an The tribal system seems to have been estimated 14.5 million people migrating shaken up, especially in NWFP, due to within four years. Despite the extraordinary migrations, socio-Economic and regional size and pace of the Indian migration, there developments; but within Balochistan, is little analytic work that examines the especially in the Bugti and Marri areas, it nature or consequences of this rapid remains ascendant. The tribal system in movement. Using 1931 and 1951 NWFP is quite different from that in population census data, it is estimated that Balochistan. In the former, the landholding by 1951, 14.49 million people had of the chieftains and their influence is less migrated into India, Pakistan and what later crucial, but in Balochistan the chieftains like became Bangladesh. In comparison the Sindi waderas (big landowners) have estimated total outflows from these full control. The clerics in Pushtun society countries of 16.7 million people during the have a higher status than those in same period, suggesting 2.2 million people Balochistan, although in rural Sind, the "missing" or unaccounted for during the Syeds (holy people) and the Sufi orders partition. While both the western (between (piri-muridi), attached to the shrines of early India and Pakistan) and eastern border Sufis command greater allegiance among (between India and Bangladesh) regions the people, and a Syed or Pir wadera is had large populations, migratory flows more powerful than an ordinary wadera. along the western border were almost three Despite the chauvinist and power-based times as much by 1951. These flows were structures underlying these systems, they not just large in absolute numbers but also have generally offered protection to non- relative to the existing population: Pakistani Muslim minorities. This is not to suggest that Punjab saw 19.7% of its population leave minorities - however affluent - enjoy equal while by 1951 25.5% of its population was 10 social status . The feudal families have vast from across the border - In Indian Punjab, trans-regional and trans-ethnic matrimonial 40.4% of the population left and in 1951 links, which play a crucial role in their 18.8% of the population was migrants.

26 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN While these flows did result in changes in British provinces. Partition left Punjabis overall population, given the flows were divided by the Indo-Pakistani border. along religious lines, the compositional Muslims had generally fled east Punjab changes were likely to be much more after killings and mass expulsions; similarly substantial11. Hindus and Sikhs fled killings in west Punjab. The migrations and the concurrent While distance to the border plays a communal killings involving mainly Hindus, significant role with migrants both more Muslims and Sikhs - especially in Punjab - likely to leave from and migrate to closer have seriously impacted on the regional places, distance is by no means the primary politics of Pakistan and India. factor, with even close by districts often experiencing very different flows. Given the The smaller minority communities, such as partition was on religious grounds it is not Buddhists, Jains and Parsis - accounting for surprising that the dominant factor a few hundred or thousand people in each determining out-migration, especially along case - were far less affected by partition. the western border, was religion. Indian Buddhists and Jains had traditionally been districts with greater numbers of Muslims concentrated in the regions that became and Pakistani/Bangladeshi districts with part of India and Parsis, despite a small greater number of Hindus and Sikhs saw presence in Karachi and Lahore, generally greater outflows. Along the western border remained outside the main communal this minority exit is quite stark: The divide. percentage of Muslims fell from 32 percent in 1931 to 1.8 percent by 1951 in districts As far as the 565 princely states were that were to end up in Indian Punjab. concerned, their plural societies were Similarly, in the districts that became part of initially protected, but with India and Pakistani Punjab, the percentage of Hindus Pakistan's desire for their integration (they and Sikhs fell from 22 percent to 0.16%12. had had domestic autonomy under British rule), an enormous amount of voluntary as Migratory flows differed along gender, well as forced population transfers took educational and occupational lines: place across the sub-continent. For Migrants were more likely to be men, example, many Muslims from the princely educated and choose nonagricultural states of Jammu and Kashmir, Junagardh professions. However, the manner and and Hyderabad moved to Pakistan, extent to which these migrant differences whereas Bahawalpur and other such changed district demographics depending predominantly Muslim states saw an both on the relative size and composition of outflow of Hindus to India13. migratory inflows into and outflows from a district and the pre-existing demographics Following the civil war between East and of the district. West Pakistan, and India's intervention in 1971, East Pakistan became the new state Partition had left Muslims divided between of Bangladesh, which led to more trans- India, East and West Pakistan - although regional migration. While East Bengalis left Hindus and Sikhs largely remained in West Pakistan for Bangladesh, Pakistan India. Christians were also seriously accepted the repatriation of several affected. They were mainly concentrated in thousand Urdu-speaking East Pakistanis, Punjab, in northern India, which, also called Biharis. Most of these new religiously, was the most plural of all the immigrants settled in Karachi, increasing

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 27 the number of Urdu-speakers in urban Sind. However, the ulama's sectarianism came Following friction over the language issue into the open in 1953. Along with several between Sindis and Urdu-speakers in 1972 disgruntled political sections, they started (both these communities wanted their demonstrations against the Ahmadis. They language to become the official state wanted the regime to declare Ahmadis a language), Pakistan became reluctant to non-Muslim minority and to remove accept any more 'stranded Pakistanis' from Pakistan's first Foreign Minister, Sir Bangladesh. Informally, however, many Zafrullah Khan, an Ahmadi, from the Biharis and Bangladeshis entered Pakistan cabinet. The violence led to the imposition throughout the 1980s and mostly settled in of the first martial law in Lahore and the Karachi adding to its plurality. arrest of several religio-political leaders, including Syed Abul Ala Maudoodi, the In 1979, following the Iranian Revolution founder of the JI. He was tried and led by Khomeini, and the Soviet invasion of sentenced to death, although subsequently Afghanistan, refugees from these two the penalty was commuted. This was the neighboring countries added to Pakistan's first time that the religio-political parties had population. While some Iranians moved to pressurized the regime in Karachi to play the West or elsewhere, more than 3 million arbiter on religious affairs. The regime Afghans lived in Pakistan throughout the resisted but the ulama had found a common 1980s (and beyond). This concentration of allying point that they would use again 20 refugees has led to a variety of changes in years later. However, the trial also exposed Pakistan in addition to the country's greater serious intra-Muslim differences within the involvement in Afghanistan, whether in the ulama over the definition of a Muslim15. resistance movement, or as an ally of the Despite the regime's strong resistance to the West in its attacks on Afghanistan. Many religious onslaught, the polarization Afghan refugees have stayed on in between the moderates and the others Pakistan. In the 1990s, richer Pakistani grew. youths (particularly young men) sought better prospects abroad14. Pakistan's difficulties could have been eased if democratic and constitutional In summary, therefore, Pakistan has had politics had been allowed to flourish. The radical demographic changes over the few salience of the military and bureaucracy decades of its existence; their ramifications only added to centralist and discretionary have fed into already highly competitive tendencies where a few people made the and volatile inter-community relationships. decisions simply by shoring up the state rather than through nation-building16. The The Blurring of State and Religion Constitution of 1956, despite reflecting In 1949, a year after Jinnah's death, Prime some religious concerns to appease the Minister Liaquat Ali Khan introduced the ulama, underlined the need for a Objectives Resolution. This document tried parliamentary government. However, the to placate the Muslim clerics and equally military struck directly in 1958 and tried to establish Pakistani nationhood on Pakistan entered a long era of military the principle of religious conformity. takeovers. In 1962, General Ayub Khan Accordingly, the rules and regulations were promulgated his own Constitution, which to be framed in consonance with Islam, ended with his political demise in 1969. allowing a greater role for the ulama, who The next military regime held elections on felt emboldened by this greater recognition. mixed and universal voting rights but

28 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN refused to transfer power to the elected injunctions, without compromising the rights party, pushing the Awami League to of minorities. It was hailed as a great campaign for the secession of East achievement since it had already taken Pakistan. In 1973, the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto- almost a decade to frame it17. However, led civilian regime offered a parliamentary before its practical promulgation, it was form of Constitution which, to date, remains thrown out by Iskander Mirza, the self- the only consensus-based document. designated President. Mirza feared the salience of political forces and the However, Bhutto fell to another coup, led marginalization of his own army- by General Zia ul-Haq who made radical bureaucracy axis. He dismissed the amendments to the Constitution, affecting Assemblies and imposed martial law on 7 the civil rights of Pakistanis. The decade- October 1958, but within three weeks he long return of democracy under Benazir had to surrender all powers to General Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif did not improve Ayub Khan, the Commander-in-Chief of the constitutional matters for minorities. The army. The Constitution was abrogated fourth military takeover, on 12 October without ever being implemented; politicians 1999, led by General Pervez Musharraf, were either persecuted or suppressed, and despite raising hopes for a liberal system, the generals ruled the country for the next has hesitated for more than eight years over six years through martial law regulations restraining the religious elements from and executive orders. further marginalizing the minorities. In addition, so as not to offend the religio- In 1962, Ayub Khan, over and above the political parties, Musharraf has shied away aspirations of civil society, offered his own from reversing the damaging policies of Constitution (Pakistan's second). It retained previous regimes. the Objectives Resolution as the Preamble but dropped the word 'Islamic' from the Tricks of Constitutions country's title. It offered unitary government Other than the interim legislation of 1947 in both the wings and, instead of a and the Objectives Resolution of 1949, parliamentary system, stipulated a Pakistan has had four Constitutions since its presidential form of government. The independence. The first was implemented president was to be indirectly elected from on 23 March 1956, an auspicious date in a franchise of 80,000 locally elected Pakistan's history as, 16 years earlier, the democrats or local councilors (male and Muslim League in Lahore had passed a female). Ayub Khan, through this resolution demanding the establishment of Constitution, civilianized his rule, which a state predominantly for Muslims. The remained largely liberal in its orientation 1956 Constitution largely reflected the despite being 'anti-politician'. The spirit of the Objectives Resolution and administration's centralist nature and the officially declared Pakistan an 'Islamic Assemblies' and executives narrowly based Republic'. It offered a parliamentary form franchise damaged Pakistan's plural of government with equal representation for prerogatives. both East and West Pakistan. (West Pakistan had already been amalgamated General Yahya Khan, who succeeded as one province with a unitary Ayub Khan, offered a legal framework government.) The Constitution did not offer order - an interim constitutional any equality or empowerment to women. It arrangement to meet broader political paid lip service to the imposition of Islamic aspirations. The annulment of the One-Unit

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 29 Scheme, the implementation of universal federation, which would be headed by a suffrage and promises of a new President who, like their Indian counterpart, Constitution, allayed serious reservations as would have ceremonial powers. The to Yahya Khan's real intentions. His legal elected Prime Minister would enjoy the framework order did not segregate confidence of the majority in the National minorities, nor did it coopt the religious Assembly and would head the government. groups. The elections of 1970 resulted in The provinces were given more rights as the the prominence of liberal and left-wing federating units, although the federation parties such as the Awami League (AL), the would appoint the governors. The chief National Awami Party (NAP - later known ministers in all four provinces would be as the ANP) and the Pakistan People's Party elected on the basis of a majority in the (PPP). The voters mostly rejected the Assembly. Institutional arrangements were religious parties such as the JI, although the made to resolve inter-provincial disputes JUI was able to obtain some seats in regarding finance, the sharing of natural Balochistan's and NWFP's Provincial resources such as water, and the power Assemblies. tariff. The Constitution did not offer decentralization or a stronger form of Exclusion From 1973 Constitution provincial autonomy, yet it went a long The separation of East Pakistan led to way in respecting provincial aspirations. It Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's meteoric rise in West proved a good starting point after many Pakistan, while the left-leaning NAP and the turbulent years of Constitution-making and rightist JUI established coalitions in unilateral takeovers, but soon suffered from Balochistan and NWFP. the authoritarianism of successive rulers, including Bhutto himself. (However, it must Bhutto, while assuming powers as the be remembered that this Constitution was President and civilian martial law prepared during the post-East Pakistan administrator, had promised the restoration trauma, when worries over further of a fully fledged democracy. Despite his disintegration of the country were authoritarian tendencies, he presented the considerable.) nation with the 1973 Constitution; which, in its original form, was a consensus Despite its various consensual points, it document; however subsequent tried to present itself as a reflection of the amendments, according to some observers, Muslim majority. The Objectives Resolution, have radically changed its spirit and ethos. once again, became the Preamble of the It is note- worthy that the 1973 Constitution Constitution. The occupants of the two was the first Pakistani Constitution agreed highest offices in the country - the President by representatives elected through a and Prime Minister - were required to be universal vote and thus largely reflected the Muslim. This was a reiteration of Pakistan opinions across the country. Since it being a Muslim-led state with minorities remains the major reference point, and has having no chance of assuming leading been the cornerstone of several other codes roles. However, this was not specified for and policies impacting on the status of similar offices for the provinces (governor minorities in Pakistan, it is important to and the chief minister). The Constitution study this Constitution. defined Pakistan as an Islamic state although insufficient attention was given to The original document offered a this area, given the Jinnahist ideal of the parliamentary form of government within a separation of religion and politics. The

30 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN framers of the Constitution were mostly of life, although Article 20 ensures each lawyer-politicians who were concerned citizen's right and 'freedom to profess about threats to the country and found religion and to manage religious Islam, at a general level, to be a helpful institutions'. binding factor. Moreover, the religio- Article 22 (1) ensures freedom in the political elements such as the JI and JUI religious institutions by not requiring any called for more Islamic clauses to be individual: inserted into the Constitution. However, this policy of harmless appeasement 'to receive religious instruction, take part in any inadvertently opened a Pandora 's Box and religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if greater demands for further Islamicization. such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a Bhutto himself initiated the process of religion other than his [sic] own'. amendments to the Constitution, which was consolidated by Zia and led to the Article 33 makes the state responsible for institutionalization of exclusion and safeguarding the legitimate rights and segregation of minorities. In turn, this led to interests of minorities, including their a wider socio-economic segregation of representation in the national and minorities and of other underprivileged provincial civil services, although the groups such as women. procedures are not clear. Article 36 further promises the protection of minorities, Article 2 of the Constitution states: 'Islam whereas Article 40 highlights the need to shall be the state religion of Pakistan …', strengthen the relationship with the Muslim and Article 2-A stipulates: 'wherein the world and the promotion of international principles of democracy, freedom, equality, peace. But, the highest offices of the land tolerance and social justice, as enunciated being constitutionally closed to minorities by Islam, shall be fully observed'. In suggest a second-class citizenship for them. addition, Article 227 ordains that no law Such a measure, as originally stipulated in repugnant to Islamic injunctions can be the Objectives Resolution, further enforced in Pakistan, Article 41 (2) states institutionalized their inequality. that the head of the state will be a Muslim, and Article 91 (3) stipulates that the Prime Some people attribute Bhutto's anti-Ahmadi Minister shall also be a Muslim believing in legislation to his own personality, egotism the finality of the Prophethood. Such articles and insecurity, while others see in it gave weight to the Muslim clergy's Bhutto's effort to woo the clerical groups. demands, allowing them an interpretive However, when the movement against the role. Article 228 established the Council of Ahmadis began, Bhutto was already Islamic Ideology in an institutionalized role securely ensconced in power and did not to oversee the legislation. The Federal need any such ploy18. By assuming this Sharia Court, established by Zia under arbitrary role, the National Assembly not Article 203 (A-J) enjoys additional powers only inhibited an equal role for plural similar to those of the Council. Under groups but also converted the Assembly - a Article 203-D, the Sharia Court can declare political institution - into a forum which any law defunct if it is assumed to be defined a community's creed and religious against Islamic injunctions. Later, Nawaz profile. This was in conflict with several Sharif 's Sharia Act (1991) made Sharia human rights Conventions and the Jinnahist Pakistan's supreme law. Article 31 calls on vision for Pakistan. the government to promote an Islamic way

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 31 THE CONSTITUTION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN, 1973 FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND PRINCIPLES OF POLICY

Article-20: Freedom to profess religion and to manage religious institutions Subject to law, public order and morality- (a) every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion; and (b) every religious denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.

Article-21: Safeguard against taxation for purposes of any particular religion.- No person shall be compelled to pay any special tax the proceeds of which are to be spent on the propagation or maintenance of any religion other than his own.

Article-22: Safeguards as to educational institutions in respect of religion, etc.-(1) No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own. (2) In respect of any religious institution, there shall be no discrimination against any community in the granting of exemption or concession in relation to taxation. (3) Subject to law. (a) no religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any educational institution maintain ed wholly by that community or denomination; and (b) no citizen shall be denied admission to any educational institution receiving aid from public revenues on the ground only of race, religion, caste or place of birth. (4) Nothing in this Article shall prevent any public authority from making provision for the Advancement of any socially or educationally backward class of citizens.

Article-25: Equality of citizens.- (1) All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law. (2) There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone. (3) Nothing in this Article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the protection of women and children.

Article-36: Protection of minorities.-The State shall safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities, including their due representation in the Federal and Provincial services.

Zia-ul-Haq's Constitutional Amendments amendments. The sweeping legislation, introduced by Operating as the chief martial law Zia and further incorporated into the administrator by virtue of his being chief of constitution through the Eighth Amendment the army staff, his assumption of the - without the proper procedures as laid presidency, the execution of Zulfikar Ali down in the constitution changed the entire Bhutto in April 1979,and the Soviet spectrum of policies and attitudes towards invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, all minorities and women. Zia's own allowed him to acquire maximum powers. religiosity, his effort to woo religious For the first time, a military-clerical nexus parties like the JI and JUI, and his strategy was installed in Pakistan. Zia favored to counter the revolutionary impact from Sunnis over Shias and scripturalists over neighboring Iran all underwrote his the syncretists. Thus, the introduction of

32 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN ushr, zakat and other Islamic taxes caused Ahmadis to be a non-Muslim minority. Its considerable uproar from Shia groups, clause C observes: eventually leading to an official concession to them. Zia harshly suppressed political 'In the Constitution and all enactments and parties like the PPP and other pro- other legal instruments, unless there is democracy clusters, and tried to anything repugnant in the subject or consolidate his own loyalists within the context, religio-political elements, offering himself as their head. He posed as the Amir ul [a] "Muslim" means a person who believes in the Momineen (leader of the faithful), with the unity and oneness of Almighty Allah, in the absolute help of a pliant media controlled by his and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of generals. Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last of the prophets, and does not believe in, or recognize as a Zia set about redirecting the ideological prophet, or religious reformer, any person who direction of Pakistan. For example, while claimed or claims to be prophet, in any sense of the laying down the foundation of the Islamic word or of any description whatsoever, after courts, he introduced Chapter 3A on Muhammad (peace be upon him) and; Sharia courts. Article 203 (D), states: [b] "non-Muslim" means a person who is not a 'The court may, [either of its own accord or] on the Muslim and includes a person belonging to the petition of a citizen of Pakistan or the Federal Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist or Parsi community, Government or a Provincial Government, examine a person of the Qadiani group or Lahori group (who and decide the question whether or not any law or will call themselves "Ahmadis" or by any other provision of law is repugnant to the Injunctions of name), or a Baha'i, and a person belonging to any of Islam, as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah of the scheduled castes.' the Holy Prophet, hereinafter referred to as the Injunctions of Islam.' In other words, the state had defined the religions of its citizens in addition to In other words, the Sharia Courts and their offering an exclusionary definition of Islam. verdicts were superimposed on the Within a few decades of its formation, the country's elected institutions. Part IX of the Pakistani establishment had shifted from 1973 Constitution focuses on further supporting equality to a front-line role in Islamic provisions. Article 227 calls for all defining citizenship with reference to existing laws to be brought in line with the 'majoritarian' Islamic parameters. The 'Injunctions of Islam'. Clause 3, however, second amendment (1974) declared the explained: 'Nothing in this Part shall affect Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority, which the personal laws of non-Muslim citizens or they never accepted as they claim to be their status as citizens.' Article 228 (1-3) Muslims. However, they became the main concentrates on the composition of the focus of victimization at different levels and Council of Islamic Ideology, its total eventually many Ahmadis left Pakistan for membership and their qualifications, Europe and North America. A few including that of its woman member and separate seats in the Assemblies had been others representing the various doctrinal allocated to Ahmadis, along with other sections. non-Muslim minorities, but they have boycotted the elections. Other than one The Zia-led amendment in Article 260 of seat in the National Assembly, Ahmadis the Constitution is crucial. It declares were allotted three seats in NWFP, Punjab

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 33 and Sind. noted:

Zia's Ordinance XX of 1984 was 'Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of promulgated and is now part of the worship, or any object held sacred by any class of Constitution - prohibiting any Ahmadi from persons with the intention of thereby insulting the identifying as a Muslim and making it a religion of any class of persons or with the punishable offence. The ordinance further knowledge that that class of persons is likely to consolidated the Ahmadis' exclusion from consider such destruction, damage or defilement as the nation and from the entire ummah. As an insult to their religion, shall be punished with this report will document, many Ahmadis imprisonment of either description for a term which have been tried and convicted under this may extend to two years, or with a fine, or with law for calling themselves Muslims or using both.' the word 'mosque' for their place of worship. There followed various other In 1927, when communal riots occurred in ordinances on evidence, Sharia, qisas India, another clause was promulgated (revenge) and zakat through the Eighth under the title Section 295-A. Accordingly: Amendment (1985) when M.K. Junejo became Prime Minister. Only after getting 'Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention a blanket validation for all his ordinances of outraging the religious feelings of any class of the and martial law regulations, did Zia agree citizens [ …] by words, either spoken or written, or to end the longest period of martial law in by visible presentations, insults the religion or the Pakistan's history. religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with a fine, or with Anti-blasphemy Code and Legal Exclusion both.' The Zia regime's various amendments and additions to the Penal Code resulted in There were no further amendments or severe socio-legal discrimination against additions in the British era and minorities. The stringent rules meant to subsequently Pakistan, until Zia added two counter blasphemy against the Qur'an and new clauses - B and C - to Section 295. the Prophet have established a unilateral Clause B was added via Ordinance 1 of system in which any male Muslim can 1982 and stated: institute litigation against an individual on allegation of blasphemy. (This law ' Whoever willfully defiles, damages or desecrates prohibited women and minorities from a copy of the Holy Qur'an or any extract thereof or initiating blasphemy cases.) The Zia law of uses it in any derogatory manner or for any evidence (Qanoon-i-Shihadah) - equating unlawful purpose shall be punishable with the evidence of two women or two non- imprisonment for life.' Muslims to that of a single male Muslim - further disempowers non-Muslims and The Penal Code Section 295-C was rushed women, while making it easier for Muslim through via the Criminal Law (Amendment) men to pursue legal proceedings against Act III of 1986, and stipulated: the accused party. The original Blasphemy Laws were designed by the British and ' Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or introduced in 1885 to outlaw the inflaming by visible representation, or by any imputation, of religious hatred. These laws became innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, part of the Pakistan Penal Code as Section defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet 295 and, in its original incarnation, it had Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished

34 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also Muslim woman to be arraigned on a be liable to a fine.' charge of blaspheming against the Qur'an in a public meeting in Mianwali. A lawyer challenged this section on the grounds that the only punishment for Zia's other vital amendments to the Penal blaspheming against the Prophet must be Code - the Hudood and Zina Ordinances - the death penalty. The Federal Sharia legislation dealing with adultery, Court, in October 1990, upheld the fornication and rape, are now part of the petition and gave a verdict in favor of the Criminal Law (although there is no death penalty. Thus, any blasphemy case distinction between rape and adultery). The with reference to the Prophet, since 1990, two Commissions of Inquiry established in may carry the death penalty. In 1994, on the early 1980s and in 1997, have a private petition regarding the Penal Code demanded the repeal of this law. 295-C, the Lahore High Court, found that it did not contravene the Constitution. Earlier, The Qisas and Diyat Ordinance brought in in February 1994, the Chief Justice-led by Zia - Sharia laws regarding murder and Pakistan Law Commission found that this blood money - have been part of the Penal anti-blasphemy clause was being Code since 1990. Qisas and diyat are frequently misused by the police and felt age-old tribal traditions, which allow that the clause could further inflame revenge or payment of blood money, and communal tensions. The Commission, led were revived by Zia through these by the then Chief Justice, Nasim Hasan amendments. These ordinances have Shah, had recommended its review by the severely hampered minorities' and Islamic Ideology Council, and Benazir women's ability to obtain equal rights and Bhutto's government agreed to amend its due justice, especially in adverse operation. However, following nationwide situations20. First, it is hard to establish demonstrations, especially after official cases on the basis of witnesses, as both statements on the issue in July 1994, the women and minorities are completely PPP regime backtracked. disadvantaged in this respect, and, second, the ordinances offer a parallel These three anti-blasphemy clauses have system of private justice where any kind of been used against both Muslims and non- miscarriage of justice is possible. For Muslims. In many cases, people have been example, the consumption of alcohol was subjected to trials - although the reasons banned in Pakistan under Zulfikar Ali may be anything other than religious. The Bhutto in 1976 but non-Muslims were anti-blasphemy codes and the law of allowed to consume, manufacture and evidence have caused outrage, but purchase it via permits. However, this successive regimes, including Musharraf's, system has led to corruption and have been reluctant to remove them so as discrimination. While the Muslim religious not to offend the fundamentalists. The elements denigrated non-Muslims for number of cases against Ahmadis, immoral practices, corrupt officials Christians, Hindus and other religious encouraged some non-Muslims to run illicit groups is rising; however, according to sales. This lowered minorities' self-esteem, some reports, there are more Muslims in especially among the Christians, as the jail accused of blasphemy than non- prohibition law has led to a kind of 'moral Muslims19. In August 2002, a woman, degradation' in many people's view, and Rukhsana Bunayad, became the first ever has undoubtedly criminalized certain

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 35 amendment (Clause 4A) was added into Survey Finding Article 51 of the Constitution stipulating that there be 'separate electorates'. „ 96.8% of male members of the family have registered their votes Through Presidential Order No. 8 of 1984, the law on separate electorates and „ 86.2% of women members of the family have communal representation was further registered their votes elaborated:

93.1% of minority participates in election by „ 'At an election to a Muslim seat or a non-Muslim casting their votes. seat in the National or a Provincial assembly, only such persons shall be entitled to vote in a sections of their communities. constituency as are enrolled on the electoral roll prepared in accordance with law on the principles of Political Separatism separate electorate for any electoral seat in that Pakistan has always been a politicized area.' society where people have actively participated in electoral politics. Despite In other words, non-Muslims would have military rule, efforts at unitary government their own constituencies and separate and the use of emergency laws, electoral representatives. Despite living side by side politics have never been forsaken by the with Muslims, they would not share the people. Significantly, except for a very same voting rights and constituencies. Their small percentage voting for religio-political constituency may be shared with people parties, people have usually voted for the they have never met or who live hundreds mainstream parties espousing policies on of miles away. Similarly, their national issues and have therefore shown representative may be a total stranger to their preference for a system that addresses them. Moreover, the Muslim the economic and political wellbeing of all. representatives, even if they live in the It has mostly been the regimes, in contrast, same town, would have no concern for who have led the call for ad hoc policies them. Before these critical amendments, and religious populism. The regimes' sense elections to local, provincial and national of insecurity and partisan use of Islam have bodies were held on the basis of joint increased the strains on pluralism. electorates and common representation, Pakistanis, in general, have never sought and minorities were not discriminated separate electorates, yet Zia chose to against. There were reserved seats for divide Pakistanis into Muslim and non- minorities and for women, which further Muslim voters. As discussed earlier, his guaranteed participation in national Hudood Ordinance and the law of politics, but the law on separate electorates evidence had already critically changed all this. The separate electorates disempowered minorities and women. system was implemented in the party-less Such legal discrimination on the basis of elections conducted by Zia in 1985 - gender and religion was further Although in 1983, local elections had been consolidated through the introduction of held using separate constituencies. constitutional amendments and (Interestingly, in his own referendum in exclusionary clauses in the Penal Code. 1984 to seek the presidency for five years, These established the segregationist regime Zia used joint electorates as it served his of separate electorates for minorities. An own interests.)

36 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN A study carried out by a Christian organization, after the 1993 elections, shows that the non-Muslim minorities can make their impact felt in no less than 50 National Assembly seats. The basis of the study is the difference of votes polled by the winning and losing candidates which in these cases has been far less than the number of the registered non-Muslim voters in the constituency.

The study shows that the Hindus population is so concentrated in Sanghar, Tharparkar and Mirpur Khas that they can win three to five seats on their own and make a difference in Jacobabad, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Ghotki, Badin and Karachi with the help of Christians and other communities.

The study also shows that Christians can influence election results in at least 35 National Assembly constituencies in the Punjab and one in the NWFP. There are five such constituencies in Lahore, four each in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura, three each in Kasur, Sialkot and Gujranwala and two each in Sargodha, Okara and Sahiwal districts. The only constituency open to such influence in the NWFP is in Chitral.

Almost all elections held since 1985 show that non-Muslim voters could have made a big difference. The PPP won from Faisalabad-VI by a margin of only 159 votes. The number of non-Muslim votes in the area was 11,065. Similarly, the PML won from Sialkot-III by 391 votes. The Christian voters there numbered 12,568.

Most minorities opposed separate whereas by participating in it they would electorates, but some minorities' leaders be seen to be supporting the enforced wholeheartedly supported them, believing segregation. Before the elections of 1993, that they would guarantee sizeable a minority candidate for the Punjab representation for religious minorities. Assembly, Naeem Shakir, had contested Through his Presidential Order, Zia had the issue in a petition to the Supreme Court. specified 10 seats on the National The Court allowed Muslim and non-Muslim Assembly for non-Muslims: four for voters to cast their votes interchangeably Christians; four for Hindus; one for Sikhs across the religious boundaries. However, and Parsis together; and one for Ahmadis. the verdict was confined to his Similarly, he reserved certain seats for non- constituency, PP 126, and, while this Muslims in the four Provincial Assemblies. achievement could have been a major For example, in Sind, nine seats were breakthrough, it proved temporary, as the reserved for non-Muslims; five for Hindus; Supreme Court reversed its earlier verdict two for Christians; one for Sikhs; and one on 4 October 1993. It disallowed Naeem for Ahmadis. In Balochistan, one seat was Shakir from contesting elections from a reserved for Christians, and one for Muslim constituency and thus maintained Hindus, Sikhs and Parsis combined. Under the religious division within a democratic the new system the constituencies became set-up. altogether separate on religious grounds; further, they were stretched across a vast The second administration of Benazir and unmanageable area. The elected Bhutto (1993-6), despite its apparent governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz support for joint electorates, did not take Sharif (1988-99) and the three interim any action. Fakharuddin Ibrahimji, Bhutto's governments in between the various Attorney General and a former senior dismissals (1990, 1993 and 1997) judge, re-affirmed support for the Jinnahist consistently shied away from annulling the vision of equal citizenship and joint separate electorates' law. The system put electorates, but found it to be a the minority leadership in a dilemma. If constitutional matter, which could be they chose non-participation in the new set- rectified only by the National Assembly. up they would be totally disenfranchised,

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 37 Bhutto's supporters suggest that she could insecurity and deprivation from successive not annul the separate electorates and governments and certain elements of the other discriminatory laws and amendments majority community. All the way from the largely because she did not have an Objectives Resolution to more recent times, electoral majority, while the Muslim League regimes have opportunistically pandered to never appeared interested in undoing Zia's a policy of segregation between Muslims legacy. This was partly because Sharif and and non-Muslims and, sadly, this many of his colleagues had been the segregation has become multi- personal beneficiaries of Zia and his dimensional21. regime, and partly because the Muslim League has, for a long time, been a party Both Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals of predominantly conservative interests and activists have campaigned against representing the capitalists and landowners separate electorates. On 4 September who have never supported an egalitarian 1993, the National Commission for system. Pakistan Justice and Peace Commission (Catholic Bishops Conference The forced segregation resulted in of Pakistan) offered the following vital representatives from the majority objections: community ignoring development schemes in the areas inhabited by minorities since „ they (separate electorates) only incite they did not fall within their constituencies. religious prejudices; In the same way, most of the minorities, „ they create disorder within the nation; who were already poor, could not reach „ they segregate minorities from their representatives, either because they mainstream national politics; did not know them or had no means of „ they downgrade minorities to contacting them. The minority communities third-class citizenship; were left in the wilderness and, in many „ the separate electorates promote only a cases, were overwhelmed by a sense of few individuals instead of communities; discrimination and loss. „ They further divide and splinter minorities causing more feuds and Over the last two decades, many civic strife22. groups have demanded the annulment of this harmful and immensely discriminatory It is to the credit of Pakistan's civil society policy, but no government until 2002 tried that the demands for the repeal of separate to undo Zia's changes to the system. It electorates and other discriminatory should be remembered that minorities have practices remained high on the agenda. It always been resident in what is now was only after the US action against the Pakistan, like most other Pakistanis and, in Taliban, and US pressure on the some cases, were present before Islam was government for reforms, that Musharraf, in introduced to the region. They opted for early January 2002, abolished the Pakistan and in the process Bahais, separate electorates, as well as the Christians, Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs and reserved seats for minorities. others, all experienced partition and suffering, along with the Muslim Musharraf also did away with the community. Minorities have stood by other statement regarding reaffirmation of the citizens in defense of Pakistan, their finality of prophet hood on the voter's homeland, yet have received only registration form, which seriously affected

38 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN the Ahmadis. However, following pressure by the religious elements, the regime Survey Finding annulled its decision and restored the practice on 29 May 2002. „ 97% of the respondents say that they have com plete freedom in performing their religious rituals Many civic leaders felt that reserved seats and prayers for minorities should have been retained for a period of time at least, to ensure „ 72.7% of the respondents say that people of other sufficient representation of minorities on the religions do participate in their religious festivals. legislative bodies. While Musharraf has increased the overall number of seats in the social costs, Pakistan experienced an National and Provincial Assemblies, and economic downturn because of a hostile also those reserved for women and attitude towards investments and some minorities, it may still be impossible for economic practices. Aside from regional minority candidates to contest elections on instability, Pakistan's unclear stance on their own due to their meager economic interest and 'promises' of its removal have resources and a lack of organizational been scaring off potential investors means. Minority representation, in its entirety, is a delicate matter and has to be Politically, rulers have browbeaten their tackled in a holistic and supportive way, so opponents using Sharia. For example, as to generate a greater sense of Sharif 's supporters used Islam and Sharia participation and representation by to embarrass Benazir Bhutto. In their many avoiding the models of forced segregation efforts to destabilize her regimes, they and integration. sided with the religio-political parties, denouncing a woman's leadership of a predominantly Muslim country. They felt Majoritarian Pakistan that a woman's domain was basically her The balance between the modernists and home and that she was incapable of traditionalists appeared to tilt towards the running a state. To them, her Western latter, especially under the authoritarian upbringing was a further irritation. In Zia regime. The amendments to the addition, simply to obtain greater Constitution and new clauses in the Penal legitimacy and popularity they used Islamic Code were justified as steps towards populism by demanding the Pakistan's systemic overhaul in accordance implementation of Sharia laws. Again, this with Sharia. Without any consensus on ploy proved counterproductive and Sharia, and in the absence of newer and became an embarrassment for Sharif when scientific interpretive studies, this worked he became Prime Minister in 1990. His as a useful ploy to gain support among the coalition partners, much to his discomfort, orthodox sections of the population, but it demanded the imposition of Sharia laws in created wide splits across Pakistan. It every sphere. For example, religious sparked off an unending array of divisive legislators demanded the end to riba demands and expectations, which proved (interest on loans and savings) and other highly counterproductive. Even the radical changes, which deeply unnerved interpretation of Pakistan as a sovereign him. He countered them with his own country was declared an ideological version of the law - the Sharia Bill - to pre- construct, rooted in Islam, which simply empt the growing pressure. A watered- added to prevalent ambiguities about its down version of the Sharia Bill was national identity. In addition to civic and

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 39 presented on 11 April 1991 and was soon allocated to an 11-member Senate According to the Pakistan Hindu Council, Hindus in Sind Committee. The Committee was urged to are insecure because of the rising number of kidnappings and murders. According to Nisar Khuhro of present its recommendations within a the Pakistan People's Party, more and more of them are month. The religious parties rejected this being kidnapped for ransom. On March 2, the BBC Bill on the grounds that it did not abolish reported the disappearance of Garish Kumar from interest, but Sharif's Muslim League Umerkot. His father, a local trader, says nobody in government was intent upon getting it authority is interested in taking up the case because the through the lower house. After only four victim was a Hindu. days' discussion and with the incorporation of some minor amendments, the National varying degrees - have been occurring Assembly ratified the Bill on 16 May 1991. across the country. Pakistan's officially Interestingly, out of a total house of 237 institutionalized discrimination, alongside only 136 Members of the National societal indifference or anger, has added Assembly (MNAs) were present when it another dimension to the marginalization received approval. Only 109 out of those of minorities and women. present cast their vote in support of this legislation. The Pakistan Democratic Institutional Segregation Alliance and Pukhtoonkhawa Milli Party Some 10-13 million Pakistanis belong to voted against it, and the JUI and JUP did minority communities, with Christians, not participate in the voting due to their Hindus and Sikhs among the most displeasure over its 'mild' nature. The prominent. It should be remembered that Senate was presented with the Bill on 25 this number does not include several May, and voted on it three days later. Muslim denominations, which do not wish to be identified as minorities. These include The new legislation reinforced the Shias, among who are Ismailis, and Zikris Objectives Resolution and the other Islamic - Muslim communities that are deeply clauses in the 1973 Constitution, further disturbed by Sunni demands that they be Islamicizing Pakistan. It was stipulated that designated as minorities. Moreover, the the government would undertake serious Ahmadis - officially declared a 'minority'- and effective efforts to teach Islamic studies refuse to be categorized as non-Muslims. and Sharia at different levels. To Islamicize the national educational and economic There are two ways of looking at the system, the government would establish minority-majority relationship in Pakistan. separate commissions. Any material or The majority would like to assimilate activity deemed against the teachings of minorities on its own terms, whereas the Sharia would be dealt with harshly by minorities would like to preserve their punishing the culprits. The government cultural, religious and ethnic identities. The would undertake to overhaul the judicial country's greater institutional emphasis on system so as to convert Pakistan into an Islam - the religion of over 90 per cent of its Islamic state. Such provisions simply 142 million inhabitants - underplays ignored the plurality of Pakistan and Pakistan's pluralism. In addition, displayed a disregard for non-Muslims' evangelical competition between Islam and aspirations. Minorities' exclusion from Christianity is harmful. In recent years, socio-economic life, higher positions in the Western policies in the Muslim world have civil and military sectors, and other overt been seen as inherently anti-Muslim and cases of discrimination and racism - to based on double standards. The tragic

40 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN human sufferings in Afghanistan, Bosnia, February 2002, five members of a Shia Iraq and Palestine, and the denigration of family in Chichawatni, near Multan, were Islam in some quarters following the attacks murdered by Sunni militants. Six days later, on the World Trade Center (September 12 Shia worshippers were gunned down in 2001), infuriated Muslims (and others). The Rawalpindi in a mosque, while several bombing of a poor and war-ravaged others were critically injured. country like Afghanistan, causing civilian deaths and massive human misery, only It is unfair to suggest, however, that intensified the anger of some Muslims. The Pakistani society on the whole is intolerant massacre of worshippers in Bahawalpur on and intent upon eliminating pluralism; a 28 October 2001 and the grenade attacks small number of militants exploit the politco- on a church in Islamabad on 17 March economic frustrations of the rest, and these 2002, followed by similar attacks in gather momentum within a non-democratic Murree and Taxila, were linked with the system. The politics of disempowerment fury of some Muslims towards the West, and international or regional geo-political with Pakistani Christians used as a factors further fuel this backlash. It is scapegoat. Further, the frequent fissures augmented by prevailing prejudices and tensions in Indo-Pakistani relations add stemming from ignorance about other to anti-Hindu feeling in Pakistan, making religious traditions and by stereotypes of the community feel increasingly insecure. Christians, Hindus, Kalasha, Shias and others. The religious bigots inflame hatred Physical attacks, social stigmatization, through the mosques and on the streets, psychological insecurity, forced against non-Muslim minorities as well as conversions and continued institutional against (Shia) Ismailis, Twelvers and Zikris. degradation characterize the position of Pakistan is currently undergoing a process religious minorities in Pakistan. Recent anti- of fragmentation and exclusion - a Shia attacks also show a growing sectarian phenomenon that deserves deeper analysis intolerance towards Muslim 'minorities'. since religious feuds may not in fact be Even after the banning of the LJ and LM, religious, and may be rooted in other sporadic killings continued. On 20 factors.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 41 42 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Mapping of Religious Minorities in Project Districts

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 43 44 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN District Bolan District Bolan females. District Bolan is one of the important areas of Balochistan. In the past it was known as In their educational profile 113 males and District "Kacchi", Sibi, and Jhal Magsi 141 females were illiterate, up to were its Tehsils. Now a day it is known as middle/primary there were 134 males and District Bolan. Dahdar is the Headquarter. 116 females, matriculates were 71 males The total area of district Bolan is 7,499 sq and 44 females and up to kms. On the east Bolan is bounder by Sibi, college/university level 13 males and 10 Naseerabad and Jaffarabad, on the west females were recorded. The employment by Quetta, on the north by Ziarat and on profile of these people was as follows: 28 the south by Mastung. The estimated males and 11 females were jobless, 60 population of the area in 2004 is 81,850, males and 17 females had government male 43,632, female 38,218. jobs, 27 males and 6 females had private jobs, 87 males and 4 females were Out of the total 115 people interviewed, employed in business, 114 males and 104 94 were males and 21 females. Of these females were students while household 115 people 21 were between 18 to 25 jobs was done by 14 males and 179 years, 50 were between 26 to 40 years, females. 32 were between 41 to 60 years and 11 were above 60 years. In the professions 42 The total population under 18 years of age were government employees, 7 did private for both males and females was 142. jobs, 43 had personal business, 20 did Computerized National Identity Cards, household jobs, 2 were students and only NIC, was almost equally distributed among 1 was unemployed. There were 66 Hindus, 183 males and 182 females. The male 47 Christians, 1 Sikh and 1 Parsi. The total registered voters were the same 183 while family size of these 115 people was 652 the females stood at 181. Those allowed to out of which 334 were males and 318 cast their votes freely were 115 while none females. The age wise breakdown of the complained of any restraint in casting their families was 65 males and 71 females votes. under 5 years of age, 82 males and 61 females in the 5 to 17 age group, 67 Those who had property in the district were males and 87 females in the 18 to 25 age 77 and those who did not were 38 while group, 98 males and 84 females were those who had property in other districts between 26 to 60 years, and above 60 were 107 those who did not were 8 in years of age there were 22 males and 15 number.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 45 As for basic facilities 100 had access to from 18 to 25 years were 3, 26 to 40 were water while 5 did not, all 115 had access 49, 41 to 60 were 28 and above 60 years to electricity, 112 had access to gas 3 did were only 5 in number. Of this total 16 not, 83 had telephone 32 did not, 94 had were government employees, 12 were in TV 21 did not, 81 had refrigerator 34 did private jobs, 49 were in personal business, not, 83 had mobile phones 32 did not, 63 1 was a student, 1 did house job while 6 had tape recorders 52 did not and 25 had were unemployed. In the religion category radio/VCR's while 90 did not. As for there were 17 Hindus, 12 Christians, 2 celebrating their religious festival freely Parsis, there no Sikhs or Ahmedis while 1 113 said they could and only 2 said they was in the any other group. could not. All 115 said they could freely go to their places of worship. These 85 people constituted a total family size of 654 persons, out of these 313 were As for participating other people in social and 341 females. Age wise the family gatherings 96 said they could while 19 members under 5 years of age were 59 said they could not. However, 59 people males and 25 females, in 6 to 17 years felt there was discrimination in employment group there were 84 males and 72 while 56 felt there was none. As for females, 18 to 25 bracket there were 57 discrimination in other places 50 felt there males and 70 females, in 26 to 60 years was discrimination in educational group there were 107 males and 166 institutions, 16 each said there was females, while above 60 there were 8 discrimination in hospitals and work males and 6 females. As for their places, 9 in government offices, 12 in educational profile 68 males and 72 bazaars and 14 in hotels. females were illiterate, those educated up to middle/primary constituted 105 males District Noshki and 89 females, up to matriculate 69 According to estimates the population in males and 65 female while those who district Noshki is 202,564 in which male were educated up to college/university are 108,736 (53.68%) and female are level were 62 males and 39 females in 93,828 (46.32%). The vast majority of the number. district population is Muslim belonging to Hanfi School of Sunni sect with a minority In the employment category above 18 of Hindus. Religious functions are a years 36 males and 4 females were significant force in the lives of all jobless, 15 males and 18 females had community members. Religious authorities government jobs, 11 males and 9 females have a hold over many aspects of social had private jobs, 126 males and no life and a few political parties are females were in business, 105 males and organized along religious lines. The Hindu 78 females were students while 1 male and population observes "Devali" and "Holi". 154 female did house hold work. The total The Hindus of Noshki also make an annual populations under 18 years of age were pilgrimage to the Jawarkin hill, which is 146 males and 102 females. about 22 Km from Noshki, on the occasion of "Wasakhi" festival on the 13th of April. In Computerized National Identity Cards, NIC, category 164 males and 186 females Total persons interviewed were 85 out of had the cards, while the registered votes which 73 were males and 12 females. This were 166 males and 186 females. Those total number broken down into age groups who could cast their votes freely were 82

46 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN while 3 said they could not. A total of 85 people were interviewed out In the property category 51 had property of which 62 were males 23 females. Out of in the district while 34 did not have these in the 18 to 25 age group there property in the district. As for property in were 19 people, 26 to 40 years there were other districts 5 said they had property 39, 41 to 60 there were 26 and above 60 while 8 said they did not. years of age there were only two people. As for their profession 11 each were in As for availability of basic facilities 17 said government and private jobs, 40 were in they had water while 69 said they did not personal business 40, there were 3 each in have water, 83 said they had electricity student and household Job category while and 2 did not, 85 said they had no gas only 1 person was unemployed. As for facility, 55 had telephone 30 said they did religion there were 12 Hindus, 63 not, 69 said they had TV while 17 said Christians, 3 Sikhs and 2 Parsis, while they did not, 44 had refrigerator 41 did there was 1 person in the any other not, similarly 44 had mobile phone 41 did category. not, 32 said they had tape recorder Of these 85 persons their total family size 53 said they did not while 31 said they was 516 which included 261 males and had Radio/VCR and 54 did not have the 255 females. In their age wise brackets facility. under 5 years of age were 52 males and 49 females, in 6 to 17 years age bracket All 85 said they could celebrate religious there were 64 males and 66 females, in festivals freely. As for freely going to their the 18 to 25 years age category there places of worship and participate other were 25 males and 56 females, in 26 to people in social gatherings 84 said they 60 years group there were 67 males and could whole 1 said they could not in both females each, while above 60 years there categories. In the area of discrimination in were 30 males and 15 females. employment 9 said there was while 77 said there was none. No one said there In their educational profile113 Males and was discrimination in educational 153 females were illiterate, 66 males and institutions, 1 said there was in hospitals, 4 52 females had reached the said there was in government offices, 3 middle/primary level, 57 males and 18 said in work places 5 said there was females were matriculate and only 11 discrimination in bazaars and 13 in hotels. males and 6 females had reached the college/university level. In the employment District Jaffarabad above 18 years category 54 males and 4 Situated on the border of Balochistan and females were jobless, 17 males and 7 Sind and is the second most populated females were in government jobs, 35 district after Quetta. Its name has derived males and 2 females in private jobs, 88 from the political and social leader of males and 9 females were doing business, Pakistan Movement "Mir Jaffar Khan 25 males and 22 females were students Jamali". The total area of district is 2,445 while 6 males and 165 females did (Sq.km). In the east bordered by household jobs. The total population under Jacobabad, south Jhal Magsi, north by 18 years of age was 166 males and 110 Dera Bugti, and west by Naseerabad. females. Of the total 140 males had Total population of the district is 501,000. computerized Identity, NIC, cards and 122

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 47 females had NIC. The registered voters 40 years, 41 to 60 years were 17 and were 126 males and 106 females while above 60 years there were only 2 persons. 82 said they could cast their votes freely In the professions category, 5 of them were and 3 said they could not. in government jobs, 6 in private jobs, 29 had personal business, 45 had household Those who said they had property in the jobs, 4 were students while 2 were district were 45 while those who did not unemployed. The religious composition were 40 in number. All of the 85 was as follows: 81 were Hindus, 5 interviewed had property in other districts. Christians, 2 Sikhs, 1 Ahmedi, while 2 were in other category. The total family As for the availability of basic facilities it size of these 91 people was 588 of which was as follows: 53 said they had access to 310 were males and 278 were females. water while 32 said they did not, 83 had Age wise breakdown of this family size electricity 2 did not, 65 had gas 20 did under 5 years of age was 46 males and not, 39 had telephone 46 did not, 48 had 50 females, 6 to 17 years age group were TV 37 did not, 18 had refrigerator 77 did 71 males and 60 females, 18 to 25 years not, 59 had mobile phones 26 did not, 22 60 males 85 females, 22 to 60 years 22 had tape recorder while 63 did not and 18 males 73 females and over 60 years there had radio/VCR and 67 did not. were 10 males and 10 females. Celebrating freely religious festivals 81 said they could while 4 said they could not. In their educational profile 75 males and All 85 of them said they can freely go to 131 females were illiterate, 53 males and their places of worship. As for participating 49 females had studied up to other people in social gatherings 65 said middle/primary level, 84 males and 28 they could and 20 said they could not. females were matriculate while 8 males Discrimination in employment was felt by 4 and no females had reached the persons while 81 said they could not. college/university level. In the employment However, only 1 said there was above 18 years profile 20 males and 6 discrimination in government offices and 2 females were jobless, 10 males and 2 said in hotels. females had government jobs, 23 males and 3 females were employed privately, District Naseerabad 112 males and 2 females had their own District derives its name from great Baloch business, 40 males and 18 females were leader Nasir Khan Noori and is functioning students while 2 males and 162 females since1975. Its Headquarter is Dera Murad has household jobs. Jamali. It is a hottest and agricultural district of Balochistan. The total area of Total population under 18 years of age district is 3,387 sq kms. On the North, it is was 93 males and 78 females. bounded by district Bolan, on the east by Computerized National Identity Card Dera Bugti and Jaffarabad, on the south holders were 139 males and 112 females, Jaffarabad and on the west by Jhal Magsi while registered voters were 101 males district. Total population of the district is and 75 females. About votes being cast 285,000 The total number of people freely 80 said they could and 11 said they interviewed were 95 out of which 45 were could not. males and 46 were females. Broken down into age groups 18 to 25 years were 33 in Those who had property in the district were number, 39 persons were between 26 to 26 in number and those who did not have

48 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN any property in the district were 73. As for property in other districts 22 said they had The major tribes of Sibi are Marri, Barozai while 77 said they did not have any. and Khajjak. There were 102 people interviewed in total in Sibi out of which 66 As for access to basic facilities, 22 said were males and 36 females. they had access to water while 77 said they did not. Of these 102 persons there were 22 in the Similarly, 83 said they had access to 18 to 25 age group, 44 in the 26 to 40 electricity 16 said they did not, 84 said years age group, 32 in the 41 to 60 years they had access to gas 15 said they did and above 60 years there were 4 people. not, 69 had telephone30 did not, 55 had Divided into professions there 23 refrigerator44 did not, 56 had mobile government employees, 12 in private jobs, phones 43 did not, 43 had tape recorder 29 in personal business, 27 did household 57 did not while 42 had radio/VCR and jobs 7 were students while only 4 were 56 did not. unemployed. There were 41 Hindus and 61 Christians in the survey sample. The As for freely celebrating religious festival family size of these 102 individuals was 88 said they could while 3 said they could 661 out of which there were 359 males not. Similarly, 90 said they could freely go and 292 females. Broken down into age to their places of worship and 1 could not. groups the total family members constituted As for participation of other people in 71 males and 50 females under 5 years of social gatherings 63 said yes while 23 age, in 6 to 17 years age group there were said they could not. 71 males and 59 female, in 18 to 25 years group there were 78 males and 72 Discrimination in employment was felt by females, in 26 to 60 years there were 112 35 persons while 64 said there was no males and 92 females and above 60 years discrimination. As for discrimination in there were 27 males and 19 females. As educational institutions 17 felt there was, for the educational profile, in the illiterate 16 said there was discrimination in category there were 118 males and 125 hospitals,9 said in government offices, 16 females, up to middle/primary level there said in work places, 12 in bazaar and 14 were 143 males and 114 females, up to said there was discrimination in hotels. matriculate level there were 91 males and 40 females, and those studied up to District Sibi college/university level there were 14 Sibi lies in the center of Balochistan males and 3 females. province of Pakistan. Sibi district was established in 1903. It was subdivided to In the employment above 18 years create Nasirabad and Kohlu districts in category 34 males and 12 females were 1974, Dera Bugti District in 1983, and jobless, 47 males and 12 females had Ziarat District in 1986. The Sibi district has government jobs, 14 males and 10 two sub-divisions, Sibi and Harnai, which females were in private jobs, there were no are further organised into tehsils and sub- females in business while 102 males had tehsils: Sibi, Harnai, Kutmandi and businesses, 34 males and 29 females were Sangan. The population of Sibi district is students, while there were 148 females estimated to be over 250,000 in 2005. and no males in household jobs. The total Over 99% of the people of the area are population under 18 years of age Muslims. constituted 135 males and 97 females.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 49 There were 178 males and 146 females The population is about 1,103,857 (male: who had Computerized Identity Cards, 580,576 and female: 523,281). There are NIC's, while there were 178 male and 3000 Christians and 214,000 thousand 146 female registered voters. Those who Hindus living in the area. could cast their votes freely were 99 in number and only 3 said they could not. Out of hundred people interviewed, 46 were males and 54 females. Again in the Of the total surveyed, 70 had property in 26 to 40 age bracket 61 people, the the district while 32 did not while 12 said highest number was recorded, followed by they had property in other districts while 19 in the 41 to 60 years and 17 in the 18 90 said they had no property in other to 25 years age bracket. There were only district. 3 people in the above 60 years age group and there were no students. As for availability of basic facilities 100 said they had access to water 2 did not, In the professions Private Jobs and Personal 101 had access to electricity 1 did not, 98 business category there were 16 each, had access to gas 4 did not, 71 had while 4 were government employees. The access to telephone 31 did not, 83 had highest number 49 were in household jobs access to TV 19 did not, 75 had access to while 15 were unemployed. Out of the refrigerator 27 did not, 91 had mobile total, 87 Hindus and 13 Christian were phone 11 did not, 41 had tape recorder part of the survey. Their total family size 61 did not, 29 had Radio/VCR 44 did not. was 575 out of which 294 were males and 281 were females. All 102 said they could celebrate their religious festivals freely while 100 said The age wise family breakdown revealed they could freely worship and 2 said they that 205 were in the 6 to 17 followed by could not. Participation in other peoples 81 in the 18 to 25 years group. There social gathering 74 said they could 28 were 114 persons under 5 years and only said they could not. Discrimination in 4 above 60 years. An overwhelming employment was felt by 41 people 61 said majority of 312 persons were illiterate there was none, while 37 felt followed by 159 who were educated up to discrimination in educational institutions, the middle or primary level. Ten persons 30 in hospitals, 34 in government offices, were matriculate while 19 had managed 25 in work places, 23 in bazaars and 31 college/university education. in hotels. In the employment category, above 18 District Badin years 23 were jobless,, 14 had This district is bordered from North by government jobs, 68 had private jobs and Hyderabad, East Mirpur Khas and 26 were in business. There were only 4 Tharparkar districts, Arabian Sea and students while 117 worked in household. Rann Kutchh on the South which also forms the international boundary with India and There were 158 males and 164 females Thatta district in its West. The total area of under 18 years of age, while only 83 the district is 6,726 square kilometers. It males and 31 females had computerized consists of five Tehsils i.e. Badin, Matli, identity cards. Registered votes and votes Tando Bago, Golarchi (Shaheed Fazil cast freely were the same in number ie 80 Raho) and Talhar with 46 Union Councils. males and 20 females.

50 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN years were both 16% of the total Those who had property in the district were populations. In the professions, while 81 and 19 had no property. Only 3 had government employees accounted for property in other districts while 97 had 14%, private jobs and personal business none. employed 15% and 12% respectively. Unemployment stood at 16% while As for basic facilities 8 had access to household work occupied the largest water, 78 had electricity, 21 gas, 14 had percentage of people, 43%. There were no telephones, 50 had TV, 10 had students. Among the communities surveyed refrigerator, 35 mobile phones, 14 had 60% were Hindus and 40% Christians. The tape recorders while 16 had Radio/VCR. total family size of the 100 people With slight variation 85 said they could surveyed which comprised of 529 celebrate religious festivals freely while 86 members out of which there were an said they could freely go to their places of approximately equal number of 275 males worship while 15 and 14 in each category 254 females. respectively, said they could not. Participation in other peoples social However, the age wise profile of the total gatherings, 49 said they could while 51 family size showed that between the ages could not. For 47 persons their was of 6 to 25 years was the highest ie 295 discrimination in employment while 53 people, certifying to a younger population. said there was none. For 98 persons there This is to be seen in the light of the fact that was discrimination in educational less than 5 years of age were 102 in institutions, for 96 in hospitals, for 60 in number. Comparatively, 26 to 60 years government offices, for 95 in work places, numbered 119 while above 60 were only for 5 in bazaars and for 100 in hotels. 16 in number.

District Sanghar The educational profile, is very revealing. Sanghar is located in eastern Sind. Indian Out of the 529 total family members of border is in the east, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas both the communities, 210 were and Hyderabad in the south, Nawabshah completely illiterate, 161 were educated in the west and Khairpur in the north. up to the middle or primary level, while 98 Sanghar contains many sites which are were matriculate and only 60 had reached important from the archeological college/university level education. As for perspective. Total area of the district is employment (above 18 years) 61 were 10,728 square kilometer. It consists of 6 jobless, with 69 were doing household Tehsils i.e. Sanghar, Sinjhoro, Khipro, jobs. The employment in Government jobs Shahdadpur, Jam Nawaz Ali and Tando was 47 and the highest number 89, were Adam. Total population is 1,324,726 doing private jobs. (male: 694,479- female: 630,247). There were 37 students only, while 19 There are 71,000 Christians and 280,000 persons, the lowest number, were involved Hindus living in the area A hundred in business. The total male population families, 46% male and 54% female were under 18 years of age was 130 and interviewed. By far the largest 61%, were female population was 124. The between the ages of 26 to 40 years. computerized national identity cards Above 60 years were only 7%. Between distribution was 110 males and 78 the ages of 18 to 25 years and 41 to 60 females. However registered votes

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 51 constituted 80 male voters and 20 female 17 were in private jobs, 18 had personal voters, all of whom cast their votes freely. business and 3 unemployed. There was no Property owners were in Sanghar were 78 student. Of the 100 surveyed 58 were in number while 22 had no property. Only Hindus while 42 were Christians. The total two persons had property in other districts family size of these 100 people was 575 and 98 had no property in other districts. out of which there were 316 males and As for basic facilities, 100 had water, 77 259 females. Their age wise breakdown is electricity, 19 had gas facility, 56 had as follows: Under 5 years of age 122, telephone and 43 had mobile phones, only between 6 to 17 years 202, 18 to 25 7 had television and 9 had refrigerators, years 64, 26 to 60 years 184 and above 11 had tape recorders and 19 had 60 years only 3. As for their educational radio/VCR. profile 307 was illiterate, 137 were middle/primary level, matriculates were All 100 said that they could celebrate 46, and up to college/ university level 24 religious festivals and could freely go to persons. their places of worship. 61 said that they could participate other people in social In the employment above 18 years gatherings and 39 said they could not, category there were 111 in household's while 29 said their was discrimination in jobs, followed by 56 in private jobs, 30 in employment while 60 said there was no business, 21 in government jobs, 16 were discrimination. All 100 said their was students, while 20 were jobless. Total discrimination in Educational Institutions, population under 18 years of age Hospitals, Government Offices, Work constituted 178 males and 142 females. Places, Bazaar and Hotels. Computerized identity card holders were 113 males and 87 females. The registered District Tharparkar/Mithi voters and those who could cat their votes Tharparkar is located in the south- eastern freely were the same 98 males and 2 part of Sind. It is bordered by India in the females each. Those who had property in east and south, Badin in the west and the district were 96 in number and those Mirpurkhas and Umerkot in the north. Total who did not were 4 while those who ha area of the district is 19,638 square property in other districts were 19 while kilometers. It consists of 4 Tehsils i.e. those who did not have property in other Chhachhro, Nagarparkar, Mithi and districts were 81 in number. Diplo. Total population is 914,291 (male: 499,859, female: 414,432). There are In the basic facilities area those who had 400 Christians and 2.2 thousand Hindus access to water were 7, to electricity 24, to living in the area. gas 1, to telephone 12, to TV 19, to refrigerator 7, to mobile phone 18, to tape Out of a total of hundred people recorder 13 and to radio/VCR 31. interviewed, 38 were male while 62 were female. In the 18 to 25 age bracket there Freely celebrating their religious festivals were 12 people, in 26 to 40 66 persons, and those who could freely go to their in 41 to 60 20 persons while above 60 places of worship were the same in number years of age there were only 2 persons. ie 99 said they could while only 1 said The highest numbers of these people ie 53 they could not. As for other people were involved with the households' participating in social gatherings 64 said profession, 9 were government employees, they did while 36 said they did not. In the

52 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN category of discrimination in employment matriculates while 38 had reached the 27 persons felt there was while 73 felt college/university level. The highest there was none. employment above 18 years of age was 105 in households followed by 54 in However, 60 said there was discrimination private jobs, 23 in government jobs, 19 in educational institutions, 50 said in were in business, 10 were students while hospitals, 5 felt discrimination in 20 were jobless. government offices, 90 in work places, 5 in bazaars and 98 in hotels. The total population under 18 years of age was 110 males and 90 females. Of them District Umer Kot 100 males and 80 females had Umer Kot is located in south eastern Sind. computerized identity cards, while It is bordered by India in the northeast, registered votes were 98 males and 69 Tharparkar in the south, Sanghar in the females, and from this number 92 males northwest and Mirpurkhas in the west. Total and 8 females cast their votes freely. area of the district is 5,608 square Concerning property in the district 92 said kilometers. It consists of 4 Tehsils i.e. they had property in the district while 8 Samaro, Kunri, Pithoro and Umerkot. Total said they had none. This number was population is 664,797 (male: 350,601, almost reversed concerning property in female: 314,196). There are 1500 other districts for 91 said they had none Christians and 261,000 while 9 said they had property in other districts. Hindus living in the area Of the same number of 100 people surveyed in this Queried about the basic facilities available area also, 39 were male and 61 female. 24 said they had access to water, 59 to There were 53 persons in the 26 to 40 electricity, only 1 person to gas, 23 to years age category which was the highest, telephone, 49 had TV, 26 had refrigerator, followed by 21 persons in the 18 to 25 55 had mobile phone, 33 tape recorder years group, 18 in the 41 to 60 age group and 22 had radio/VCR. and only 8 persons in the above 60 years age category. In the professions the highest All 100 said that they could celebrate number of 58 persons were doing religious festivals freely, while 99 said they household job, 16 had personal business were free to go to their places of worship. while 14 were in private jobs, 8 were Only 1 person said they could not. About government employees, 3 were participation in other peoples social unemployed while one was a student. The gatherings 76 responded in the affirmative sample population was 100% Hindu and while 24 said no. Concerning there were no Christians. The family size discrimination in employment 36 said they was 443, which included 229 males and suffered discrimination while 64 said they 214 females. Age wise in the family, 77 did not. About discrimination in were under 5 years, 120 were in the 6 to educational institutions 95 said they were 17 age bracket, 94 in 18 to 25 age group discriminated against, 80 said they were 137 in 26 to 60 years, while above 60 discriminated in hospitals. 20 in years there were only 15 persons The government offices. 95 in work places, 10 illiterate population in the sample family in bazaars and 100 in hotels. size were 178 in number, up to middle/primary school were 122, 43 were

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 53 District Mirpurkhas In the employment profile, the highest Less than a 100 kilometers directly south of number were in household jobs 149, Sanghar and on the fringes of the Thar followed by 59 in government jobs, 53 in Desert, lies Mirpurkhas, the headquarters private jobs, 22 in business and 25 were town of the district. Formerly a part of the students. The jobless accounted for 53 Tharparker district which is irrigated by the persons. Of the total population under the branches of the Nara Canal. Mirpurkhas age of 18 years, 136 were males and 126 has a population of 906 thousand (1998 were females. In the computerized Census) and the literacy rate of the district National Identity Card category, 162 were is 36%, with female literacy ratio standing males and 191 were females. However, at 25% (1998 Census). 5000 Christians there were only 84 male and 16 female and 263,000 Hindus living in the area. registered voters and a similar number males and females cast their vote freely. The 100 people interviewed in the area 47 were males and 53 were females. Of these Those who had property in the district were the highest number 51, were in the 26 to 60 and those who had no property in the 40 age group, followed by 27 in the 41 to district 40 while those who had property in 60 age bracket, 14 in the 18 to 25, and other districts were 7, and those with no the lowest, only 8 in the above 60 years property were 93. In the basic facilities age group. In the professions, the highest available category, 7 had water, 94 were in households which was 49%, electricity, 30 gas, 11 telephones, 71 TV, followed by government employees and 23 refrigerator, 47 mobile phones, 37 private jobs which were 23% and 18%, tape recorders, and 14 had radio/VCR respectively. There were 7% persons in facility. personal business and only 3% were unemployed. There were no students. Of the total 98 said they could celebrate their religious festivals freely, and 2 said Of these 74 were from the Hindu religion they could not, while 91 could freely go to and 26 were from the Christian religion. their places of worship only 1 could not. The total family size was 627, broken About participation of other people in down into 319 males and 308 females. In social gatherings 78 said yes while 22 these families, in the 6 to 17 and 18 to 25 said no. About discrimination in age group there were 158 persons each, employment 32 said there was and 68 while 192 were in 26 to 60 years. Under said there was none. 5 years were 98 and above 60 years were 21 in number. About discrimination in other places, 98 each said there was in educational Of the total family members over 50% ie institutions and hospitals, 60 said there 356 were totally illiterate, up to middle or was discrimination in government offices, primary school educated were 151, while 90 said in work places, 10 said in bazaars 59 were matriculate and 34 were of the and 95 said in hotels. college/university level.

54 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Issues and Recommendations

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 55 56 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Issues

he emphasis on exclusionary Survey Finding nationhood as portrayed in the various forms of constitutional „ 30% of the respondents say that they are Tarrangements all the way from the discriminated on the basis of religion in job Objectives Resolution to Zia's amendments market. has increased minorities' feelings of inequality. Even the wording of oaths for „ 39.45 respondents say that they are discriminated various offices hurt non-Muslims' feelings. in educational institutions The addition of specific clauses and a flood of litigation on blasphemy have oppressed „ 29.8 % respondents cite hospitals, 23.7% minorities and individual Muslims. Further, government departments and 20.2 % workplace economic marginalization - such as as places where they face discrimination on the minorities' confinement to menial, low-paid basis of religion. and low-status work, especially for Christians and Hindus - has seriously diminished their self-esteem, besides MRG Ranking consolidating ethno-religious stereotypes. According to the Minority Rights Group's annual report, With a few exceptions, most Christians Pakistan has risen by eight places to occupy eighth (male and female) work as street sweepers position on the MRG's ranking of countries where and suffer from discrimination. The rural minorities are at risk. In fact, this view is widely Hindus are mostly poor and lack reflected in the international media where the plight of organization, and are vulnerable to feudal Pakistan's hapless minorities gets hugely adverse and police oppression. There are coverage. But apart from stout denial, this government inflammatory posters in the streets against has done little to confront the issue, and give our minorities a sense of security. minorities; for example, there are anti- Ahmadi statements outside mosques, and minorities - there is an inscription in the signs outside hair salons and water main hall: 'Of course, Islam is the best purification plants prohibiting non-Muslims' religion in the eyes of GOD'. To Muslims, entry23. Further, frequent graffiti betray the this may be right given its Qur'anic context, strong anti-minority prejudices of sections but stating this in a national ministry of society. dealing with non-Muslims, shows a misplaced emphasis on uniformity. And in In the Federal Ministry of Religious and the media, the mastheads of Pakistan's Minorities Affairs - the only one among 40 Urdu newspapers and magazines routinely ministries to deal specifically with carry a verse from the Qur'an, while the

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 57 teachings or beliefs of other religions are among Christians in Punjab, is 34 per cent, not displayed at all. Some of the English compared to the national average of press and some Urdu newspapers and 46.56 per cent. Among minority women, magazines generally play a responsible the rate is abysmally low. The average role while reporting on plural issues, but literacy rate among the Jati (upper caste) communal elements popularize anti- Hindus, scheduled castes (Dalits) and minority myths, especially during a local or others (including Parsis, Buddhists, Sikhs regional crisis. Radio and television offer and nomads) is 34 per cent, 19 per cent programmes on Islam but make no and 17 per cent, respectively, whereas for organized effort to raise awareness of Ahmadis, it is slightly higher than the other religions or of the need for pluralism. national average of 51.67 per cent. Further, even the teaching in schools is Similarly, on the other socio-economic heavily oriented towards Islamicizing indicators, minorities were mostly found pupils. For example, 20 extra marks are lagging behind25. given to any candidate for admission into schools and higher institutions for There have been instances when the incitement of religious hatred has been Survey Finding used to acquire properties belonging to minorities. Mob attacks have taken place „ Out of 5244 family members > 18 years of age, and cases of blasphemy have been lodged 2558 are illiterate (48.8%). Related %age for against non-Muslims. In this regard, in the male members of the family is 38.4% and for early 1990s, the case of Salamat Masih of female members is 56.4%.. Gujranwala, and others, made headlines. One of the accused had to seek exile, Survey Finding while two others were murdered on court premises. The policies of the Evacuee Property Trust, which has administered and „ 68% of the respondents say that we have allocated properties to immigrants since the property in their district of living. early 1950s, have added to this land „ 9.2% of the respondents say that they own acquisition at the expense of non-Muslims. property in other district (s) also. These properties belonged to non-Muslims who left for India during partition. Various landowning groups seek out prime memorizing the Qur'an. Even prison properties housing temples and churches, inmates receive a remission for learning or and use religion as a ploy to dislodge the memorizing the Qur'an. The lack of a owners. The recent anti-Christian proper educational system and a holistic disturbances in Faisalabad, Gujranwala syllabus that takes Pakistan's plural and Khanewal were linked with such 'land traditions into account have only added to mafia' groups. a great sense of loss24. Aside from religious feuds and socio- Based on the 1998 census, Pakistan's cultural/economic deprivation, the official National Council for Justice and Peace policies of appeasement and the emphasis (NCJP) - one of many well-respected human on religious uniformity have allocated rights groups - has examined minorities' second-or even third-class citizenship to literacy rates. According to the NCJP's millions of Pakistanis. Rather than report for 2001, the average literacy rate redressing this problem, the policy of

58 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN appeasement has continued, further many see these acts as an organized marginalizing these communities. This has strategy. The violent events of February- led to a rise in cases of socio-psychological March 2002 in India, following Hindutva depression among these communities. (Indian Hindu extremists) efforts to construct Suicide, abject poverty, immensely the Ram temple, however, did not set off unhygienic living conditions and a high any anti-Hindu reaction in Pakistan. While rate of unemployment are all linked to Christians may be disliked and official policy. For example, the HRCP's discriminated against, there have been no report for 2000 recorded many young serious anti-Christian riots in Pakistan. Yet, people having committed suicide in especially since the US-led campaign in Pakistan, including 158 people in Karachi, Afghanistan, there has been a rise in 49 of them women. In rural Sind, 1,167 attacks on Christian churches, schools and attempts were made, of which 810 ended hospitals. These are often attributed to in death26 - a toll of 521 men and 289 groups like the LJ, including the attacks on women. Further, the NCJP identified 25 the Christian school in Murree and the cases of suicide by Christians in Punjab chapel in Taxila Hospital in early August and Hindus in Sind in 2000, mostly due to 2002. poverty and domestic violence27. Instead of seeking to overcome these problems, As with Hindus, Christian women have successive governments have sought to been attacked occasionally. The rape of continue with their politico- religious seven Christian women on a bus returning agenda. For example, in 1992, coding from their factory outside Lahore in the religious affiliation on national identity summer of 2000 was widely deplored in cards was raised as a possible policy Pakistan28. Such individual cases happen initiative, and was withdrawn only after now and again, especially in rural areas, strong protest from civic groups. and are under-reported due to the stigma involved. Yet Pakistani human rights NGOs However, the reiteration of the khatam-i- include such cases in their reports each nubawwat (the finality of the Prophethood) year. Further, relatives sometimes kill poor is formally institutionalized on passport women (often those who have been raped) applications and voter registration forms. in the name of 'honor', as well as some This reaffirmation is supplemented with the men - Muslims and non-Muslims. rejection of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a 'false claimant' to succession of the Again, human rights groups and the local Prophet. press regularly report these 'honor killings'. For example, the HRCP reported 315 Pakistani Hindus, as discussed, suffer due 'honor killings' in Punjab alone in 2000, of to the communalization of Indo-Pakistani which 35 were males29. However, the politics and their interstate rivalries. The official law enforcement agencies often kidnap and rape of Hindu women; the display nonchalance and laxity, largely to desecration of Hindu temples during the appease local people of influence, and are Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947-8, 1965, consequently rewarded with huge sums. 1971, and again in December 1992, following the destruction of the Baburi Mosque in India - as recorded by the HRCP and other NGOs - are inextricably linked with the rise in communal hatred. And

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 59 Conclusion While Christians may face anger for journalists from southern Punjab and rural political and economic reasons, Sind. compounded by factors rooted in 'land grabbing' or racism, Hindus often suffer Nomads' affinity with local Muslim due to the Indo-Pakistani discord. They communities in rituals, their role as become scapegoats whenever tensions entertainers at different ceremonies or and rise. Over the decades, they have been their participation during Shias' Muharram seen as 'fifth columnists'. Hindu women processions allow them to live on the suffer from kidnaps and forcible fringes of the settled communities. conversions, and the community is generally depressed, under-educated and Ahmadis and Christians are the under-employed. The feudal nature of Sindi communities that have most regularly society and its collaborative relationship documented cases of discrimination and with the local administration precludes the oppression, both at the official and societal possibility of any redress for Hindu levels. Shias have local information - mostly grievances. The landless peasants, nomads anecdotal- or taken from the press, but this and Dalits among the Hindus suffer from is not yet in a documented form. Most multiple deprivations. Bahais, Buddhists, Ismailis and Parsis are highly educated, urban and commercial Bahais are still a young and almost groups, with exceptional economic invisible community, which is confined to performance. Their general level of self- intellectuals who try to keep out of the sufficiency and cosmopolitan contacts limelight. Their magazines and books are further ensure their security. These available in Urdu but the fundamentalists, communities are comparatively less unlike their counterparts in Iran, have not vulnerable to majoritarian backlashes. yet seen them as a threat. Sikhs, likewise, are not perceived to pose any social, religious or economic threat to Nomads, especially nomadic women, others; and the common Muslim view of occasionally fall victim to feudal attitudes, them as being 'anti-Hindu' allows them a including rape and other forms of violence, bit more space. The small size of the Sikh although the religious elements tend to community and its diversity equally allows ignore them. They are seen as a class of them a sort of 'invisibility'. It is the 4 million harmless, landless and rootless people, yet Hindus who may be in need of most sexual stereotypes about nomadic women support in Pakistan, because they suffer abound. Cases of kidnap and rape are from stigmatization and a lack of proper occasionally reported by investigating support networks.

60 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN latter not characterized as a minority) are Pakistan's insecure and non-representative the most organized and well-knit ruling elite, while seeking legitimacy has communities. The Ahmadis are well- used Islamic penal codes to establish organized and affluent, yet official and discretionary punishments. These Hudood societal anger puts many restrictions on laws - however sanctioned under Sharia - their social and religious mobility, and their have been imposed on society, and organization30. One of Pakistan's civil vulnerable minorities, women and Muslims society organizations - Centre for Legal have been falling victim. In the struggle Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) - against this malaise, the role of the various works to fight discrimination. In 1999 it activist groups, human rights NGOs and stated: think tanks representing the civil society of Pakistan takes centre stage. On the one 'Laws are not only a reflection of society's attitudes hand, these groups try to restrain statist to any given issue; they can change the prevailing unilateralism, while trying to create a attitudes. Good laws can help foster tolerance; bad greater awareness of the sanctity and laws can fire hate. Attitudes once set into motion inviolability of equal citizenship. At another are hard to bring to rest. The Blasphemy Law has crucial level, through documentation and very rapidly incited hate and its misuse continues active lobbying, they organize civic groups with impunity.' to play an effective role at the local level so as to safeguard the plural nature of The Way Forward Pakistani society. Such groups, many still in Pakistan is a plural country where equal their infancy, emerged in the last decade citizenship based on unfettered human or so and are struggling to survive. rights could lead to many improvements. This can only happen if the country's Annual reports like those of Amnesty leaders and opinion-makers act more International have raised these issues, but responsibly and avoid inciting hatred by there was a need for Pakistani networks preaching tolerance and coexistence. It is and pressure groups to investigate and imperative for the Pakistani ruling elite to document the human rights abuses of the revisit Jinnah's vision of a tolerant, plural underprivileged sections of society. These and democratic Pakistan, anchored on the organizations face tough challenges and principles of equal citizenship and other numerous pressures, but they have built up rights, irrespective of caste, creed or their credibility as effective channels of gender. Such an ideal was the original information and reform. However, the creed of the movement for Pakistan and fundamentalist, official, societal pressures forms a point of consensus for a vast on these organizations and their personnel majority of the population even today. The are immense. actions of non-representative regimes and the difficult inter-state relations have only While each community may have its own worsened intercommunity relationships in respective safety networks, the Christians in South Asia. this sense seem to be better organized, with church-based and secular However, fundamentalist activities, among organizations emerging to focus on human other factors, are encouraged by poverty rights. The rural nature of most of the Hindu and disillusion. As admitted by the communities has precluded such initiatives. government, every third Pakistani is living On the other hand, Parsis and Ismailis (the below the poverty line. It was officially

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 61 revealed in mid-2001 that the proportion of successive regimes have failed these those living in poverty had gone up from people. The economic and political 17 to 34 per cent by the late 1990s. empowerment of the people on an equal basis through a system of joint electorates Pakistan's overwhelming majority is with some special incentives, seats and tolerant and in favor of giving equal rights safeguards for minorities can help Pakistan to minorities and women. According to a to achieve lasting social cohesion. The major national survey, most of the citizens initiatives have to come from the wanted a tolerant and progressive government in areas including: Pakistan. Accordingly, 74 per cent of them communication, the Constitution, supported a ban on sectarian groups; 81 education, electoral politics, employment per cent demanded a stop to hate-inciting and general law and order. khutbas (sermons) in mosques; 67 per cent rejected the Taliban-style restrictions on Further, a greater awareness of the women; 59 per cent wanted to give obligations and attributes of pluralism is an women the right to divorce; 63 per cent urgent need. Pakistani nationalism must believed in giving equal weight to symbolize the plural realities of society evidence from men and women; 74 per rather than demanding or imposing a cent favored family planning; and 74 per unitary nationhood. cent - an overwhelming majority - supported joint electorates31. It appears that

All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Charter of Demands (CoD).

The charter made an appeal to the government and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to ensure rights of the minorities in accordance with the respective UN declaration.

The CoD sought inclusion of the Aug 11 speech of the Quaid in the Constitution as its integral part. It said the government should ensure free, fair and transparent elections under a caretaker set-up, and participation of minorities.

It said sections 295-C and 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as Hudood ordinance should be repealed immediately. The charter said the sanctity of marriages solemnised under the laws of minorities should be protected from violation and dissolutions should be prohibited in case of conversion to any other religion.

It said the government should take concrete steps to foster religious harmony and form a national commission on religious tolerance to promote co-existence. It sought revoking of article 2-A, 31 and 227 and prohibition of policies made in the name of religion.

It sought a law to eliminate conversion to other religions on the basis of kidnapping and blackmailing. It said an inter- faith council should be formed in place of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which should be assigned the role of advising the parliament on legislation.

The charter also demanded a ban on organisations, which were fanning hatred, extremism and terror in the name of religion. It said the minorities should be given equal opportunities in media, services of Pakistan and all walks of life. It called for foolproof legislation to weed out the practice of bonded labour. Source: DAWN Newspaper, August 11, 2007

62 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Recommendations „ The authorities in Pakistan should be made available to implement these institute independent inquiries into measures which should be devised recent cases of large-scale killings of with the full and effective participation religious groups. Those responsible for of representatives of minority groups the killings should be brought to justice and, for example, local inter-faith in accordance with internationally committees. recognized guidelines for fair trial. The police and judiciary should take urgent „ The authorities should ensure that steps to prosecute those responsible for religious and other minorities can par any crimes motivated by ethnic or ticipate in all aspects of public life. religious hatred, including harassment, They may consider a wide range of murder or crimes of sexual violence. mechanisms for ensuring participation of minorities in decision-making, „ Independent commissions for racial, including reserved seats in government religious and gender equality, or and Parliament, consultative bodies on similar institutions, should be set up, to the national and local level covering receive and investigate complaints, to matters of concern to minorities, and offer advice to victims of discrimination forms of cultural or territorial autonomy. and to undertake awareness-raising activities to promote the principles of „ Laws and constitutional provisions, non-discrimination and understanding which demonstrably result in between different communities. These discrimination against minorities or commissions should have regional women, such as the blasphemy, offices to cover remote rural areas. evidence and alcohol laws, the laws Their work should be linked to building designating certain groups as non- the capacity of the judiciary and other Muslims, and the constitutional legal institutions, including through provisions regarding the compliance of human rights training and anti- law with Islamic injunctions, should be discrimination programmes. The modified or revoked. authorities should undertake other measures to promote awareness of the „ Measures should be undertaken to value of diversity, minority rights, and ensure that minorities can participate in the contribution of various communities economic and public life without to the culture and history of Pakistan, discrimination, including monitoring of for example, by introducing new ele recruitment practices and punitive ments into school curricula. Funds must measures against those found to be

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 63 discriminating against minority International Convention on the applicants. Laws should be passed and Elimination of All Forms of Racial enforced, to criminalize the display of Discrimination, and the Convention on signs by shops or other businesses the Rights of the Child. It should take indicating that members of particular immediate steps to ratify and minority communities are unwelcome. implement all of the remaining major human rights instruments, in particular „ Pakistan should ensure that all laws, the International Covenant on Civil and policy and practice comply with its Political Rights, and the International obligations under the Convention on Covenant on Economic, Social and the Elimination of All Forms of Cultural Rights. Discrimination Against Women, the

64 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN ANNEXURES

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 65 Detail of Focus Group Discussions

1. District Bolan Dated of Events Total Participants Venue 1.1 Focus Group Meeting 17/03/2008 11 Social Welfare hall Bagh 1.2 Focus Group Meeting 20/032008 10 Community Hall Dadher 1.3 Focus Group Meeting 28/04/2008 9 Town Hall Much 1.4 Focus Group Meeting 29/04/08 10 Hill Kulpur 2 District Nushki 2.1 Focus Group Meeting 11/03/2008 9 Sajjad Hotel Nushki 2.2 Focus Group Meeting 12/.3/2008 7 Tehsil Hall 2.3 Focus Group Meeting 02/04/2008 10 Sajjad HotelNushki 2.4 Focus Group Meeting 03/04/2008 9 Tehsil Hall 3. District Sibi 3.1 Focus Group Meeting 25/03/2008 12 Mehran Hotel Sibi 3.2 Focus Group Meeting 26/03/2008 9 Circuit House 3.3 Focus Group Meeting 17/04/2008 8 Al Karam Hotel Sibi 3.4 Focus Group Meeting 18/04/2008 10 Parda Club Sibi 4 District Jaffarabad 4.1 Focus Group Meeting 04/03/2008 10 Dera Allah Yar 4.2 Focus Group Meeting 05/03/2008 8 Dera Allah Yar 4.3 Focus Group Meeting 07/04/2008 8 Usta Mohd 4.4 Focus Group Meeting 08/04/2008 12 Usta Mohd 5 District Naseerabad 5.1 Focus Group Meeting 06/03/2008 7 Irrigation Rest House Naseerabad 5.2 Focus Group Meeting 07/03/2008 9 Tamboo Naseerabad 5.3 Focus Group Meeting 22/04/2008 11 Al Rasheed Hotel 5.4 Focus Group Meeting 23/04/2008 8 Al Rasheed Hotel D.M Jamali 6. Sanghar 6.1 Focus Group Meeting 16/02/2008 14 Padri colony 6.2 Focus Group Meeting 15/02/2008 9 Christian colony 6.3 Focus Group Meeting 14/02/2008 15 Community centre 6.4 Focus Group Meeting 15/02/2008 10 Shivshankar mandir shahzadpur 7. Mirpurkhas 7.1 Focus Group Meeting 06/02/2008 25 Christian community railway colony 7.2 Focus Group Meeting 06/02/2008 18 Bisma Hotel 7.3 Focus Group Meeting 07/02/2008 14 Govt primary school mirva jagrani 7.4 Focus Group Meeting 08/02/2008 18 Sindhri Primary school

66 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 8. Mithi 8.1 Focus Group Meeting 10/02/2008 18 Islamkot Ashrum 8.2 Focus Group Meeting 10/02/2008 7 Banah Beli Nagarparker 8.3 Focus Group Meeting 11/02/2008 20 Ghulab Guest House 8.4 Focus Group Meeting 09/08/2008 10 Marvi guest house 9. Umerkot 9.1 Focus Group Meeting 12/02/2008 20 Matajee Mandir 9.2 Focus Group Meeting 13/02/2008 10 Umerkot Community centre 9.3 Focus Group Meeting 14/02/2008 7 Chor cantt primary school 9.4 Focus Group Meeting 11/02/2008 21 Karoonjhar guest house 10. Badin 10.1 Focus Group Meeting 17/02/2008 20 Golachi 10.2 Focus Group Meeting 20/02/2008 10 Young sheedi organization 10.3 Focus Group Meeting 19/02/2008 18 United Hotel 10.4 Focus Group Meeting 18/02/2008 13 Memon community centre

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 67 Questionnaire

Name: Sex:

Age: (1)18 to 25 year (2) 26 to 40 year (3) 41 to 60 year (4) Above 60 year.

Profession: (1) Government employ (2) Non government employ (3) Business (4) Job less (5) Student (6) Household.

Religion: (1) Christian (2) Hindu (3) Persion (4) Saikh (5) Qadani (6) Extra.

Tahsil: District:

House Members: Age 5 year 6 to 17 year 18 to 25 year 26 to 60 year Above 60 year Total Male Female Total

Qualification: Uneducated Middle Metric College &University Total Male Female Total

Profession: Above 18 Year Job less Government employ Non government employ Business Student Household Total Male Female Total

Less than 18 Year People: Male Female Total

How many house members have Computerized N.I.C Male Female Total

How many house members are registered in electoral roll: Male Female Total

Weather the house members give their opinion: Yes No

Do you own property in your residential district: Yes No

Do you own property in any other district: Yes No

Which facilities do you have amongst the following?

68 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Clean Water Electricity Gas Telephone TV Refrigerator Mobile phone Tape Recorder Radio/VCR

Do you freely celebrate ritual ceremonies? Yes No

Do you freely worship? Yes No

Weather the other religious community members participate in your happiness and mourn. Yes No

Do you face discrimination in access to employment? Yes No

On which of the following pleases do you face religious discrimination?

Educational institute Hospital Public Office Work Place Bazaar Hotel

Thanks for your Cooperation

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 69 Tabulation of Statistical Data

Province of Respondents Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Balochistan 480 49.0 49.0 49.0 Sind 499 50.9 51.0 100.0 Total 979 99.9 100.0 Missing System 1 .1 Total 980 100.0

District of Respondents Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Nasirabad 91 9.3 9.3 9.3 Jaffarabad 85 8.7 8.7 18.0 Sibi 104 10.6 10.6 28.6 Bolan 115 11.7 11.7 40.3 Noshki 86 8.8 8.8 49.1 Tharparkar 98 10.0 10.0 59.1 Bidin 100 10.2 10.2 69.4 UmarKot 100 10.2 10.2 79.6 Mirpur Khas 100 10.2 10.2 89.8 Sanghar 100 10.2 10.2 100.0 Total 979 99.9 100.0 Missing System 1 .1 Total 980 100.0

70 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Religion of the Respondent Frequency Percent Valid PercentCumulative Percent Valid Christian 245 25.0 25.1 25.1 Hindu 711 72.6 72.7 97.8 Parsi 5 .5 .5 98.3 Sikh 9 .9 .9 99.2 Qadiani 3 .3 .3 99.5 Others 5 .5 .5 100.0 Total 978 99.8 100.0 Missing System 2 .2 Total 980 100.0

Age of the Respondent Frequency Percent Valid PercentCumulative Percent Valid 18 - 25 years 184 18.8 18.8 18.8 26 - 40 years 518 52.9 52.9 71.7 41 - 60 years 225 23.0 23.0 94.7 60 and over 8 .8 .8 95.5 5 43 4.4 4.4 99.9 6 1 .1 .1 100.0 Total 979 99.9 100.0 Missing System 1 .1 Total 980 100.0

Profession of Respondent Frequency Percent Valid PercentCumulative Percent Valid Govt. Employee 151 15.4 15.4 15.4 Private Employee 121 12.3 12.4 27.8 Business 265 27.0 27.1 54.9 Unemployed 48 4.9 4.9 59.8 Student 17 1.7 1.7 61.6 Housework 376 38.4 38.4 100.0 Total 978 99.8 100.0 Missing System 2 .2 Total 980 100.0

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 71 Age of Family Members Sex 5 Years or less 6 to 17 years 18 to 25 years 26 to 60 years above 60 Total Male 543 817 616 829 114 2919 Female 418 728 596 832 94 2668 Total 961 1545 1212 1661 208 5587

Qualification of Family Members Uneducated Middle Metric College or University Total Male 1069 955 503 254 2781 Female 1389 709 265 100 2463 Total 2458 1664 768 354 5244

Livelihood of Family Members Jobless Govt Employee Non-Govt Employee Business Student Household Total Male 325 267 379 631 363 44 2009 Female 71 91 45 29 260 1373 1869 Total 396 358 424 660 623 1417 3878

Possession of CNIC of Men Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent sValid 0 26 2.7 2.8 2.8 1 618 63.1 66.5 69.2 2 169 17.2 18.2 87.4 3 63 6.4 6.8 94.2 4 29 3.0 3.1 97.3 5 15 1.5 1.6 98.9 6 6 .6 .6 99.6 7 2 .2 .2 99.8 8 1 .1 .1 99.9 10 1 .1 .1 100.0 Total 930 94.9 100.0 Missing System 50 5.1 Total 980 100.0

72 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Possession of CNIC of Women Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 0 87 8.9 10.3 10.3 1 538 54.9 63.9 74.2 2 126 12.9 15.0 89.2 3 50 5.1 5.9 95.1 4 22 2.2 2.6 97.7 5 11 1.1 1.3 99.0 6 4 .4 .5 99.5 7 3 .3 .4 99.9 10 1 .1 .1 100.0 Total 842 85.9 100.0 Missing System 138 14.1 Total 980 100.0

Registration of Male Vote Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 0 29 3.0 3.2 3.2 1 615 62.8 68.0 71.2 2 155 15.8 17.1 88.3 3 56 5.7 6.2 94.5 4 28 2.9 3.1 97.6 5 14 1.4 1.5 99.1 6 6 .6 .7 99.8 8 1 .1 .1 99.9 10 1 .1 .1 100.0 Total 905 92.3 100.0 Missing System 75 7.7 Total 980 100.0

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 73 Registration of Vote Women Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 0 112 11.4 13.8 13.8 1 509 51.9 62.8 76.7 2 104 10.6 12.8 89.5 3 46 4.7 5.7 95.2 4 21 2.1 2.6 97.8 5 12 1.2 1.5 99.3 6 3 .3 .4 99.6 7 2 .2 .2 99.9 10 1 .1 .1 100.0 Total 810 82.7 100.0 Missing System 170 17.3 Total 980 100.0

Cast Vote Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 0 10 1.0 1.0 1.0 Yes 899 91.7 92.1 93.1 No 67 6.8 6.9 100.0 Total 976 99.6 100.0 Missing System 4 .4 Total 980 100.0

74 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Property in Living District Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 664 67.8 68.0 68.0 No 312 31.8 32.0 100.0 Total 976 99.6 100.0 Missing System 4 .4 Total 980 100.0

Property in Other Districts Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 90 9.2 9.2 9.2 No 885 90.3 90.7 99.9 3 1 .1 .1 100.0 Total 976 99.6 100.0 Missing System 4 .4 Total 980 100.0

Freedom in Religious Rituals and Festivals Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 947 96.6 97.0 97.0 No 29 3.0 3.0 100.0 Total 976 99.6 100.0 Missing System 4 .4 Total 980 100.0

Freedom in Performing Prayers Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 952 97.1 97.6 97.6 No 23 2.3 2.4 100.0 Total 975 99.5 100.0 Missing System 5 .5 Total 980 100.0

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 75 Participation of Other Religious Groups Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 710 72.4 72.7 72.7 No 266 27.1 27.3 100.0 Total 976 99.6 100.0 Missing System 4 .4 Total 980 100.0

Discrimination in Employment Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 286 29.2 29.3 29.3 No 688 70.2 70.6 99.9 3 1 .1 .1 100.0 Total 975 99.5 100.0 Missing System 5 .5 Total 980 100.0

Discrimination in Places Discrimination Frequency Percentage Baazar 144 14.7% Government Offices 228 23.27% Hospitals 287 29.28% Hotel 302 30.8% Educational Institutions 313 31.94% Work place 198 20.2%

Availability of Services/Facilities Facilities Frequency Clean Water 468 Electricity 804 Gas 439 Mobile Phone 503 Radio 187 Refrigerator 337 Tape recorder 305 Telephone 370 TV 547 VCR 102

76 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Bibliography

Anon., Summary of the Cases Instituted against Ahmadis in Pakistan (from April 1981 to July 23, 2001), mimeo, n.d.

Akhtar, S., Tehreek-I-Pakistan Kay Gumnan Kirdaar, Rawalpindi,Christian Study Centre, 1997.

Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), Progress Report for the Year 2000, Lahore, CLAAS, 2000.

CLAAS, Cases Against Minorities 2000, Lahore, CLAAS, 2001.

CLAAS, Some Victims of Allegedly Defiling the Holy Quran 295B and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) 295C, Lahore, CLAAS, 2000

Durrrani, T., My Feudal Lord, London, Corgi, 1995.

French, P., Liberty or Death?, London, Flamingo, 1998.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), State of Human Rights in Pakistan, 2000, Lahore, HRCP, 2001.

HRCP, State of Human Rights in Pakistan, 1997-2007

Jalal, A., The Sole Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League and the Demand for Pakistan, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1985.

Kenoyer, M., Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1998.

Mahbub ul-Haq Human Development Centre, Human Development in South Asia, 2001, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 2000 - 2003

Malai, N.A., Asalathul Zakarin, Turbat, 1994.

Malik, I.H., Islam Nationalism and the West: Issues of Identity in Pakistan, Oxford, St Antony's-Macmillan, 1999.

Malik, I.H., State and Civil Society in Pakistan: Politics of Authority Ideology and Ethnicity, Oxford, St Antony's-Macmillan, 1997. Malik, I.H., U.S.-South Asia Relations, 1784-1940: A Historical Perspective, Islamabad, Area Study Centre, 1988.

Mughal, D. and Jivan, J. (eds), Religious Minorities in Pakistan:Struggle for Identity, Rawalpindi, Christian Study Centre, 1996.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 77 Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan, Maple, Islamic International Publications, 1993.

National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), Human Rights Monitor - 199 to 2006, Lahore, NCJP, 1998.

Nazir-Ali, M., Pakistani Christians, mimeo, Rochester, Bishopscourt, 21 October 1991.

Qaisarqandi, A.M., Zikri Mazhab Aur Islam, Karachi, Khattam-INabuwwat, 1978.

Robertson, G.S., The Kafirs of the Hindu-Kush, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1986 (reprint).

Robertson, G.S., Chitral: The Story of a Minor Siege, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1977 (reprint).

Saleem, A., Pakistan Aur Aqlieetain, Karachi, Daniyal, 2000.

Sisson, R. and Rose, L., War and Secession: Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1990.

Syed, A.H., The Discourse and Politics of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 1992.

Talbot, I., Pakistan: A Modern History, London, Hurst and Co., 1998.

Talbot, I., Freedom's Cry: The Popular Dimension in the Pakistan Movement and the Partition Experience in North-west India, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1996.

Titus, P. (ed.), Marginality and Modernity: Ethnicity and Change in Post-Colonial Balochistan, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1996.

Wheeler, R.E.M., Five Thousand Years: An Archaeological Outline, London, Christopher Johnson (Publishers) Ltd, 1950.

Wolpert, S., Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan, Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1994.

Ziring, L., The Ayub Khan Era: Politics in Pakistan, 1958-1969, Syracuse, Syracuse University Press, 1971.

See also: Dawn, Din, Friday Times, Guardian, Herald, Jang, Jihd-i-Haq, Mirror, Nawa-i- Waqt, News, Newsline, Ux-o-Aeena, and various reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights

78 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN Footnotes

1Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Year Book 1994-5 2Interview Diary, Focus Group Discussions 3"Pakistan's Christian Minority" Gene R Preston 4Interview Diary, Focus Group Discussion 5Interview Diary, Focus Group Discussions 6Malik, I.H., Islam, Nationalism and the West: Issues of Identity in Pakistan, Oxford, St Antony's-Macmillan, 1999. 7Hashmi, T.I., Pakistan as a Peasant Utopia, Denver, Westview, 1992; Jalal, A., The Sole Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League and the Demand for Pakistan, Cambridge, CUP, 1985. 8Talbot, I., Freedom's Cry, Karachi, OUP, 1996. 9'Fifty Years: Fifty Questions', Herald, Karachi, January 1997 10The sexist nature of feudal society is all too well known. See Durrani, T., My Feudal Lord, London, Corgi, 1995. For the politics of feudal elitism and the official reluctance to implement land reforms and agricultural tax, see Hussain, A., Elite Politics in an Ideological State, London, Dawson, 1979. For the evolution of these feudal families and their repression of landless peasants see Masud, M., Hari Report: Note of Dissent, Karachi, 1948. 11"The Big March: Migratory Flows After the Partition of India", Harvard Kennedy School 12"The Partition of India : Demographic Consequences", Prashant, Asim and Atif 13Kudaisya, G & Yong Tan, T. The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia, London: Routledge (2000) 14Qadeer, MA. Lahore: Urban Development in the Third World, Lahore, Vanguard Books Limited (1983). 15For details on constitutional developments and the religious riots in the early years, see Afzal, M.R., Pakistan: History and Politics, 1947-1971, Karachi, OUP, 2001; Binder, L., Religion and Politics in Pakistan, Los Angeles, 1961; Nasr, S.V.R., Mawdudi "Making of Islamic Revolution", New York, OUP, 1996 16Interview Diary, Focus Group Discussions 17Interview Diary, Focus Group Discussions 18Wolpert, S., Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan, Karachi, OUP, 1993, and Syed, M.A., The Discourse and Politics of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 1992.

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN 79 19Bennett, J., 'Religion and democracy in Pakistan: the rights of women and minorities', SDPI Paper 20Ibid 21Moghal, D., 'The status of non-Muslims in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: a confused identity', Religious Minorities in Pakistan: Struggle for Identity, Rawalpindi, Christian Study Centre, 1996 22.Saleem, A., Pakistan Aur Aqlieetain (Pakistan and minorities,) Karachi, 2000 23National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), Human Rights Monitor - 1999, Lahore, NCJP, 2000 24When asked about a new educational curriculum to create a greater sense of respect and sharing of plural traditions, asenior official in the Ministry of Religious and Minority Affairs was indifferent. Instead, he asked the author to visit the Ministry of Education in each of the four provinces as 'it did not come within the purview of this Ministry'. 25NCJP, Human Rights Monitor - 2001, Lahore, NCJP, 2001 26HRCP, State of Human Rights in 2000, Lahore, HRCP, 2001 27NCJP, Human Rights Monitor - 2000 28See "The Daily Din (Karachi)" 7 June 2000 29HRCP, 2000 30Interview Diary, Focus Group Discussions 31'What do Pakistanis really want?' Herald (Karachi), January 1997

80 RELIGIOUS MINORITIES in PAKISTAN