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WION Edit: Pakistan's minority report

DelhiWritten By: WIONUpdated: Jan 29, 2020, 01:48 PM IST
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File photo of Pakistan's Imran Khan. Photograph:(AFP)

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It doesn't take much for the global community to realise that minorities are under threat in Pakistan.

In his quest for global attention, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan often lectures India on the rights of minorities.

He has tried to berate India on global forums, indulged in fearmongering at public events and even tweeted a fake video, claiming it showed police violence in Uttar Pradesh. 

The Pakistani prime minister would be better served if he looks in his backyard first because the numbers tell the story of how religious persecution is now rampant in Pakistan.

A 2015 report says that at least one thousand girls are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year. Another report says that 95 per cent of all Hindu temples in Pakistan have been either destroyed or converted.

A survey found that only 20 Hindu temples out of 428 places of worship are operational now. The situation is particularly worse for the Hindus. In 2013, journalist Andrew Buncombe wrote in the UNHCR refugees daily - "Pakistan is worse than hell for Muslims."

WATCH: Have international watchdogs failed to call out Pakistan?

As the story from Sindh made front-page news, it started trending - hashtags like minorities in danger in Pakistan and wake up UNHCR started doing the rounds. 

Many drew parallels with India. India has more Muslims than Pakistan, and yet they are technically a minority. Comparing India and Pakistan is a case of apples and oranges.

It's unfair and unnecessary. And it doesn't really cover India in glory. The situation in India is and should be better than Pakistan. India is a secular country. Measuring itself against Pakistan on any parameter, and coming out the winner, does little to burnish India's image.

But if a comparison must be made, this is what it looks like: The population of minorities in India has been steadily growing.

According to pew, the population of Muslims will grow from around 14 per cent to 18 per cent by 2050. Minorities in India enjoy the Rights to Practice their Religion.

Muslim lawmakers have representation in the Indian Parliament. When they don't agree with something, they protest, like people of any religion do.

Case in point - the anti-CAA protests. The Muslims of India are at the forefront of the protest, so are people from other religions.

Compare this with what happened in Pakistan when a Sikh tried to save his daughter from forced conversion. In response, angry Islamists shouted anti-Sikh slogans, pelted stones at a Gurudwara and threatened to destroy it.

It doesn't take much for the global community to realise that minorities are under threat in Pakistan.

Islamabad state intolerance towards minorities can be traced back to the Zia ul Haq era - the dictator legitimised the oppression of minorities by tweaking laws.

Consequently, the standing of minorities was reduced before the courts. Electoral laws were diluted, separate electorates for minorities were introduced - a system that was not abolished until 2002.

While the minorities were welcomed back into a joint electoral system, they still do not enjoy equal rights. Pakistani society still does not accept them as their own. Hardliners still dictate the rules and the silence of the state only enables their persecution.

So why have international watchdogs failed to call Pakistan out? Unfortunately, condemnations have been limited to diplomatic texts here.

The classic double standards and the West cutting Pakistan some slack each time in the hope that it won't be branded Islamophobic.

(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)