PAKISTAN’S religious diversity is reflected in its churches, temples, gurdwaras and other places of worship, but its real significance lies in the people and communities connected with them. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Bahais, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Kalash citizens are part of the country’s social and cultural fabric. Their security, dignity and participation in national life are therefore both a constitutional obligation and a shared responsibility.

Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to profess and practice religion. This commitment also reflects Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision that citizens should be free to visit their places of worship and that the state should not discriminate on the basis of religion.

Representation is an important part of this constitutional promise. Minorities have four reserved seats in the Senate, ten in the National Assembly and........

© Pakistan Observer