This refers to article “Religious minorities in India” by Nazia Jabeen (March 3). Not only India, but most of the South Asian countries that have recently, a century or so ago, been decolonised, treat religious minorities in the same manner as the writer has detailed in her article. Muslims are not satisfied with the kind of treatment they get in India; just like the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar or the Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadis in Pakistan. The reason behind it is the colonial legacy, though it is in the shape of rivalry between Hindus and Muslims, domineering attitude by Christians, and the so-called help by Rohingyas to the Britishers during colonial era. The Rohingya Muslims are being persecuted by the Buddhists. No Muslim majority or minority nation was ready to accept them so the United Nations termed them, “most persecuted religious minority”.Our Pakistani syllabus is fraught with hatred and intolerant attitudes towards religious minorities in Pakistan. Religious minorities in Pakistan are not treated much differently. Although Quaid-e-Azam, on August 11, 1947, unequivocally announced the state has nothing to do with the business of religion, Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims in 1974 by the liberal and so-called socialist government to appease the right-wing elements. Our great heroes, first foreign minister Zafarullah Khan and the first Pakistani Nobel Laureate Abdul Salam, have been forgotten by us only due to their faith.Also, the Christian community and other religious minorities in Punjab are being treated indifferently. The incidents of burning in brick kilns, torching their places of worship and attacking individuals on account of blasphemy, without giving them their basic rights of a fair trial enshrined in our Constitution is commonplace.Moreover, Hindus, the major religious minority in Sindh, are being treated similarly as Muslims are treated in India. The few temples, which can be counted on fingers, have not been spared from attacks and acts of vandalism. The forced conversion of Hindu girls has come into the limelight in recent years; therefore, many have fled to foreign countries. Unfortunately, the Hindus of Pakistan are viewed through the prism of Indian Hindus and treated accordingly. So, we should be impartial and empathetic while judging others.Bhagwan BhattiPublished in The Express Tribune, March 6, 2017.Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook , follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.