Now Reading: Zardari says Pakistan ‘tolerates’ Hindus, claims they prefer staying
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Zardari says Pakistan ‘tolerates’ Hindus, claims they prefer staying
Zardari says Pakistan ‘tolerates’ Hindus, claims they prefer staying
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said on August 14 that the country’s Muslims “tolerate” its Hindu population and claimed Hindus would rather remain in Pakistan than move to India. He also said…
The Story in Brief
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said on August 14 that the country’s Muslims “tolerate” its Hindu population and claimed Hindus would rather remain in Pakistan than move to India. He also said Indians believe in “Akhand Bharat” and that Hindus in Pakistan are free to practise their religion.
India Today reports that Pakistan’s 2023 census counted 5.2 million Hindus, or 2.17% of the population, below Zardari’s estimate of 3% to 4%. Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but Hindu and Christian girls remain vulnerable to forced conversions, while religious minorities have faced discrimination and mob violence, according to the report citing rights groups.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy nationalist reading is that Zardari’s remarks prove either Pakistan’s tolerance or India’s moral superiority. Neither follows from one speech. “Tolerance” is a weak standard for equal citizenship, while the claim that Pakistani Hindus prefer staying there needs evidence, not assertion. The useful test is simple: compare Pakistan’s census with documented cases of forced conversion, violence and migration, rather than trading slogans over identity.
Sources (2): indiatoday.in, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
