Shehbaz Sharif’s False Christmas Promise
Words by A.M. Ryan
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Shehbaz Sharif’s False Christmas Promise by A.M. Ryan
On Dec 25 in a country that is 97% Muslim, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made a Christmas promise: to “protect the fundamental rights of the minority community”. He stated that this position is in keeping with Islamic values and the values of Pakistan’s founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, whose 146th birthday also fell on Christmas. Claiming that Pakistan has “failed to live up to the Quaid’s ideals” of religious freedom for all in Pakistan, he committed his government to upholding Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan and protecting the rights of religious minorities.
Will this mission succeed? And, is the drive to achieve this mission even genuine to begin with? Pakistan’s history holds the answer.