ABSTRACT
Pakistan was envisioned as a democratic state where equal rights for minority would be assured as expressed by Mohammad Ali Jinnah in his speech to the Constituent Assembly in 1947: ‘You may belong to any religion, caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State . . . we are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens, and equal citizens of one state.’1 Also Article 20 of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan guarantees ‘freedom to profess religion and manage religious instructions’ while Article 25 guarantees ‘equality of all citizens’. In spite of a secular vision of the founding father and constitutional protection, the religious minorities in Pakistan have suered severe discrimination under authoritarian regimes and under elected governments as well.
