Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised to treat the minorities in his country as equal citizens ‘unlike what is happening in India.’ The newly appointed Pakistani prime minister said this was the vision of Mohammaed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.
[Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha]Taking to Twitter, Khan said, “Quaid (Jinnah) envisaged Pakistan as a democratic, just and compassionate nation. Most importantly he wanted our minorities to be equal citizens. It should be remembered that his early political career was as an ambassador for Hindu Muslim unity.”
Quaid envisaged Pakistan as a democratic, just and compassionate nation. Most importantly he wanted our minorities to be equal citizens. It should be remembered that his early political career was as an ambassador for Hindu Muslim unity.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 25, 2018
He added, “His struggle for a separate nation for Muslims only started when he realised that Muslims would not be treated as equal citizens by the Hindu majority. Naya Pak is Quaid’s Pak & we will ensure that our minorities are treated as equal citizens, unlike what is happening in India.”
His struggle for a separate nation for Muslims only started when he realised that Muslims would not be treated as equal citizens by the Hindu majority. Naya Pak is Quaid’s Pak & we will ensure that our minorities are treated as equal citizens, unlike what is happening in India. https://t.co/xFPo8ahJnp
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 25, 2018
Khan’s comments came on the day it was reported that the Noida Police in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state with considerably high Muslim population, had ordered MNCs to stop their Muslim employees from offering Friday prayers in a local park.
The BJP government of the same state had last year ordered its police to hold grand celebrations of Hindu festival, Janmashthami, in its police stations across the state. The government order by Vhief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said, “It’s noteworthy that such celebrations were halted in the past. Krishna Janmashtami is an important festival and the police should organise it in a traditional and grand way.”
Earlier this year, senior police officers were seen showering rose petals on Hindu devotees as they organised kanwar yatras in the state. The state government had deployed helicopters at huge costs for this purpose.
There has been considerable rise in hate crimes against Muslims in India under the Narendra Modi government. Several Muslims have been killed by Hindutva militants on suspicion of consuming or slaughtering cows.