[BLOGS.THEFRIDAYTIMES] "India grants citizenship to 4300 refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistain" read a recent news headline circulating in the media.As a Pak, this headline carried more heartache than surprise. At a time when the Pak social media is abuzz with underlining the plight of the minority Rohingya-Moslem community of Myanmar, minorities and marginalized groups in our own backyard are fighting a battle of their survival. So how come Pakistain, a country established on grounds of secularism, reach this stage of deserting its own? Systematic constitutional marginalization, growing Lion of Islam narrative, and alleged state-backed persecution are some of the major reasons.
Between January 2013 and June 2014, up to 3,753 Non-Moslem Paks, especially Hindus, gave up their passports to acquire Indian Visas. Also, the Foreign Policy magazine ranked Pakistain as the third worst state in terms of group grievance, whereas Freedom House, in 2012, categorized the country as partially free for religious practice.