Pakistan is celebrating National Minorities Day today, and re-committing to the equal rights and harmony of the country’s religious minorities.
The active role of minorities in national development and state-building is the legacy of the historic vision and foundational address of the founder of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on August 11, 1947, to the Constituent Assembly. In that historic speech, he ensured that every citizen would be accorded equal rights, equal treatment and full religious freedom, irrespective of caste, creed or faith.
The Christian communities in the country have rejoiced at the constitutional provisions for equal rights and are playing a vibrant part in the activities of the nation’s development and independence celebrations. Hindus and Sikhs have also expressed satisfaction and confidence on the religious freedom and legal safeguards they enjoy in Pakistan as compared to their counterparts in India.The National Minorities Day was officially established in August 2009 while the government of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. Ever since, August 11 has been celebrated each year to remember the contribution of the minorities, to protect their rights under the Constitution and to foster interfaith harmony in the country.