The Government of Sindh’s Department of Minority Affairs organized a seminar titled Promoting Interfaith Harmony in Sindh on April 26, 2022. The seminar was conducted with technical and administrative support provided by The Knowledge Forum. Hosted by the department’s Secretary Mr Abbas Baloch, the seminar welcomed a distinguished list of guests including minority leaders, right-based activists, civil society members, government representatives and all community stakeholders. Honourable Minister for Minority Affairs Mr. Giyanchand Essrani was chief guest of the event.
The objective of the seminar was to invite all stakeholders to discuss issues and challenges faced by various faith groups and find solutions to promote interfaith harmony in Sindh. It also aimed to help the department to work effectively in future. This seminar was one of the many other events organized in collaboration with The Knowledge Forum to instil peace, harmony, and resolve differences among the diverse communities residing across the province, particularly in Karachi where people of different faiths have been residing for decades.
During the course of event Mr Pirbhu Satyani—a researcher, minority affairs expert, and team members of The Knowledge Forum—presented an overview of the status of minorities in Sindh through a presentation. Mr Satyani, elucidated his works on rights-based activism in Sindh and described population diversity in Pakistan with linkage of South Asian percentage.
He presented an overview of different faith groups according to the data available in Census 2017 of Pakistan. According to the data he presented, 96% population are Muslims, 4% other religions—Hindus, Christians, smaller groups such as Parsis, Buddhists, Ba’hais, Sikhs, Jews, and others. According to his presented data, Hindus & Scheduled Castes make up 2.14% or 4.44 million, hence the largest religious minority in Pakistan with 10% Population of minorities in Sindh (estimated).