Now Reading: Zardari says Pakistan ‘tolerates’ Hindus, census puts share at 2.17%
-
01
Zardari says Pakistan ‘tolerates’ Hindus, census puts share at 2.17%
Zardari says Pakistan ‘tolerates’ Hindus, census puts share at 2.17%
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said Muslims “tolerate” Hindus, whom he estimated at 3 to 4% of the population, while speaking in Islamabad on August 14, India Today reports. Pakistan’s 2023 census…
The Story in Brief
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said Muslims “tolerate” Hindus, whom he estimated at 3 to 4% of the population, while speaking in Islamabad on August 14, India Today reports. Pakistan’s 2023 census recorded 5.2 million Hindus, or 2.17% of the population, below Zardari’s estimate.
Zardari also criticised India’s alleged belief in Akhand Bharat and said Hindus in Pakistan were as free as anywhere else. Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees religious freedom but gives Islam the status of state religion. India Today cited reports of forced conversions, abductions, discrimination and mob violence affecting Hindus and other minorities, including Christians and Ahmadiyya Muslims. It also cautioned against comparing today’s figure with the 14.6% recorded in 1941, since Pakistan then included territories that later became Bangladesh.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative is that one disputed percentage explains Pakistan’s entire minority record. It does not. Zardari’s word “tolerate” is troubling for a constitutional head, but India’s angry social-media reactions do little for victims either. The useful test is whether Pakistan acts on documented cases involving forced conversions, violence and discrimination, while publishing credible population data. The 2023 census figure of 2.17% is the clearest baseline for now.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
