Imagine the outcry if there were a sign barring Muslims from buying or renting apartments in a building anywhere in the world. But no one will take any particular notice of this.

“Property for sale, unless you are a non-Muslim,” by Raj Kumar, Express Tribune, September 30, 2019:

It is no secret that Pakistan has an abysmal record when it comes to protecting religious minorities and ensuring that their rights are safeguarded. But legislation and government action can only do so much; ultimately, it is the attitude of the masses which will determine whether we as a nation wish to protect religious plurality or not. Thus far, that seems rather unlikely. A torrential downpour of blasphemy cases, forced conversions and the fleeing of religious minority groups from Pakisatn has only led to the increasing marginalisation of those who belong to a religious minority in the country.

There is however a misconception that such bigotry and vitriol lingers only along the fringes of the nation and is a sentiment which is not echoed in the urban centres of Pakistan. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. A recent example of discrimination against non-Muslims in Pakistan came to the fore when some pictures began to do the rounds on social media. The images show a sign on display in an apartment building in Karachi which states that non-Muslims cannot rent or purchase the apartments. Regrettably, for non-Muslims in Pakistan, this is not a new phenomenon, although I would have hoped for something better from a metropolitan and diverse city like Karachi.

This incident reminds me of my personal struggle of trying to get a place in Islamabad. At the very last hour, a proprietor in Islamabad told me that I could no longer acquire the property because I was a Hindu, and he said that he was afraid I would perform my religious activities which could ‘harm’ his religious beliefs. Truth be told, I have learned to ignore such attitudes and pay little heed to them. But it is deeply worrying when such incidents impact families and children. A friend of mine was told to vacate his premises in Islamabad, along with his family, simply because the neighbours took issue with the fact that a Hindu family was living in their locality. More than anything, I worry about how that will impact his children and shape their perceptions about the country they call home. Being born a non-Muslim in Pakistan comes with a cost, and being a Hindu is simply the ‘icing on the cake.’ You will often be called a traitor, an Indian, and will be considered an inferior individual.

I have regularly been lectured by others on how I should convert to Islam and how I must keep in mind that I live in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. But does living in an Islamic republic mean that the masses will not protect the rights of religious minorities?…