Every year on August 11, we celebrate National Minorities Day to honour the services and sacrifices rendered by our religious minorities for the country. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first to recognise the rights of non-Muslims as equal to those of any other Muslim citizen in Pakistan. On August 11, 1947, in his landmark speech, Quaid gave a vision for Pakistan.
In his words, “You are free to go to your temples; you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan,” which tells us the real meaning of Pakistan. Unfortunately, now minority communities are not treated this way. It is the state’s responsibility to provide and secure fundamental rights for minority communities, but our leaders’ silence on early marriage, forced conversion, and missing persons in minority communities hurts a lot.
We are thankful to former president Asif Ali Zardari, who officially announced the celebration of Minority Day in 2009 and provided opportunities as well, but the basic thing required is safety and a peaceful life. Many heroes from the minority have given their lives for the nation, serving in various departments and professions. Our last breath is dedicated to our beautiful country, Pakistan. We are proud to be Pakistanis. Pakistan Zindabad.
ANTHONY SAHOTRA,
Larkana.