Pakistan 2024-25 budget has no funds for over 12 million Hindus, Sikhs and Christians

Some days ago, the Pakistan government announced that all establishments will observe holidays on account of Eid ul Azha for three days, from June 17 to 19 (Monday to Wednesday). These days will be full of festivities for the majority Muslim community throughout the country as thousands of animals will be sacrificed. On June 12, Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb did advance celebration of Eid by sacrificing tge nation’s five per cent minorities in his budget.

Aurangzeb’s abracadabra with money allocated to different sectors has led to a situation in which funds for the welfare of minorities in the 2024-25 budget have vanished. In the current year’s budget (2023-24 financial year that closes on June 30), 100 million rupees had been allocated for the welfare schemes of various minorities. In the new financial year that begins on July 1, a fortnight from now, there is zero allocation for minorities, according to UCA (Union of Catholic Asian) news.

Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs constitute the minorities in Pakistan and are much backward as compared to Muslims in terms of educational achievements and overall prosperity. Due to poverty and low social attainments, a number of students from minority communities are dependent on government aid announced in the budget. This helps them in getting scholarships and enrol in colleges for higher education.

This step is in line with the policies being pursued by the Federal government of Pakistan strangling the minorities across the board, leaders of various minorities have said. They criticised the government move not to offer a penny to them from the $68 billion budget presented by Aurangzeb. If we take numerical strength as basis of allocation of funds, the minorities should be getting at least $3.4 billion, one of them said. However, for fear of being hounded by intelligence agencies and being persecuted by them, these leaders have not said anything openly.

Leading newspapers like Dawn, The News International, The Herald Tribune as also main TV channels like Geo have not uttered a word on this gross injustice being done with the minorities in Pakistan. Incidentally, most newspapers and TV channels have presented critical reports regarding the budget but omitted saying anything about zero allocation for minorities this year. At five per cent of a total population of Pakistan, the minorities comprise over 12 million.

Atrocities against minorities can take altogether different and novel forms in Pakistan as Ahmadis have been facing. All over the world, the Ahmadis are considered Muslims but in Pakistan they are considered heretics to be targeted on any and all opportunities. Amir Mahmood, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Ahmadiya community, said they “do not consider ourselves minorities”. However, the state policies “equally affect us,” he said.

Since 1974, the Ahmadiyas have not been allowed to live peacefully on their own terms. Around the time the Federal budget was passed in Pakistan, several warnings were issued to Ahmadiya community leaders not to sacrifice animals on Eid. At Chakwal, the district administration put three leading members of Ahmadya community under one-month detention to prevent them from offering sacrifice (qurbani) of animals on Eidul Azha.

Amir Mehmood said all three persons had been called for a meeting by district officials but were detained later. Several human rights organisations have condemned the treatment meted out to members of the Ahmadiya community.

Chaman Lal, chairman Samaj Sewa Foundation Pakistan, a Hindu welfare group, sees “a bleak future” for religious minorities in the Islamic Republic. “Cash transfer and small development schemes for minorities have decreased while attacks on vulnerable communities have increased. They just don’t care for us,” he said.