Minority Rights and the Constitutional Dilemmas of Pakistan

Rights of religious minorities and the role of religion within the constitutional framework represent two key issues which have dominated Pakistan's fifty-four years of political history. This article analyses Pakistan's constitutional approaches towards its religious minorities. This analysis reveals that the State has been unable to establish a coherent constitutional framework in which to protect its religious minorities. Furthermore, as a consequence of politicisation of religion over the past three decades, Pakistan's religious minorities are increasingly being victimised and persecuted. The article identifies a number of laws and practices through which discrimination has been perpetuated and highlights the existing unfortunate situation of religious minorities within Pakistan.