Hindu community Diwali Celebration in Pakistan: Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Chief Minister of Punjab province Maryam Nawaz Sharif, while speaking to the members of the Hindu community at the Diwali celebrations held in Lahore recently, said that the minorities in the country, especially the Hindus, had to face difficult times. Because of which he had to feel embarrassed.
Maryam said in her address, “The minority community in Pakistan has faced many such incidents which make me feel ashamed. I appeal to all Pakistanis to protect minorities, respect them and respect their religious beliefs. Do it.”
Rights of minorities should be protected: Maryam Nawaz
He said that all sections of the society need to move forward unitedly and we should protect the rights of the members of the minority community. This statement of Maryam Nawaz is an important message of sympathy and support towards minorities in Pakistan, which instills hope for a positive change among the community.
What is the condition of minorities in Pakistan?
According to the report of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the total population of the country is about 24 crores. The number of religious minorities in this is only 87 lakh. In this also the total population of Hindus is about 53 lakhs. Questions have been continuously raised regarding the condition of Hindus in Pakistan. Media reports often mention crimes against Hindus and target killings are also a matter of concern. Most of the Hindu population in the country lives in villages. Due to lack of contact with cities, Pakistani Hindus do not get any opportunity in jobs and business.
What do the figures say?
International human rights organization ‘Minority Rights Group’ had released a report on Pakistan regarding the marginalized population. It states that Between 1,200 and 5,000 Hindus leave Pakistan every year due to religious persecution, most of whom are from Sindh province. Despite a long tradition of diversity and tolerance in Sindh and the region, religious polarization appears to be increasing, leading to discrimination and violence against the Hindu population.
‘Minority Rights Group’ says, “Hindus in Pakistan Apart from violent attacks, kidnapping and forced conversion of Hindu women and girls is a major challenge. While there are no reliable statistics available on the number of forced conversions that occur each year, human rights activists have estimated that approximately 300 cases of forced conversion of Hindu women and girls occur annually.”