Today, Pakistan is all set to celebrate yet another Minorities Day. On offer will be the usual platitudes focusing on how non-Muslim and Muslim minority sects continue to contribute to the country’s prosperity. Resplendent in casual tokenism of the high wattage kind; for which everyone is supposed to be duly grateful.

This year, therefore, we would like to propose shaking things up a bit.

Starting with allowing minority communities their turn in the driving seat to freely discuss their hopes and fears with a view to drawing up a new social contract. Consider this a first step towards reconciliation. Something of which Pakistan is in dire need. After all, for many, the final run-up to the elections brought with it a dangerous opportunism that sought to capitalise on the fear of the ‘other’ for ballot-box gains. Most notably in the fallout from the Khatam-e- Nabuwwat- controversy and all that ensued.

The man who promises a Naya Pakistan did not even pause to mention minority groups in his victory speech; despite kicking off with the repetitive notion of how he shares Jinnah’s vision of a state based on humanitarian philosophy. All the while failing to grasp that when leaders of a nation that came into being on the premise of turning a minority into a majority to avoid the tyranny of subjugation fail to accord or uphold constitutional rights to others — they do nothing but betray the Quaid’s all too short-lived legacy.

Admittedly, talking about the rights of the poor as the primary concern of the state is commendable on paper. But unless and until there is recognition that minorities suffer the double burden of oppression, any drives to lift the masses out of poverty will produce selective results at best. Similarly, while the legal status of certain groups remains unresolved there is absolutely no point in offering assurances that the law will be the same for everyone. For as long as negative legislation is on the books anyone can boast about upholding the rule of law; even as persecution continues.

Read more: What about the minorities?

Thus once Kaptaan has finished celebrating his oath-taking with the rest of the 1992 World Cup team — he must turn his sincere attention to levelling the playing field for minorities. Starting with a five-year plan. This may begin by establishing working groups at all levels of government to address inherent risks to life and property; with an additional view to introducing substantial quotas in industries across the board. What is not perhaps required at this stage are more fact-finding missions by ‘experts’. Far more urgent is the need to allow communities under fire to speak for themselves and with complete confidentiality. As opposed to simply playing the part of a statistic on a government chart. Indeed, for many the latter represents their only ‘interaction’ with others who may share divergent religious beliefs.

That being said, we hope that this may well represent a tiny first step towards fixing prevailing discrimination. And that as the PTI tenure reaches completion — the country is considerably safer for minorities. For no promises of a Naya Pakistan cannot be made before then. *

Published in Daily Times, August 11th 2018.