Hate crime

There is no respite from heinous crimes against minorities in Pakistan. Practically all the victims of violence and brutality belong to the minority communities. Many – if not the majority – condone such acts.
There are no laws to deal with hate crimes. Many religious personalities and leaders of militant outfits openly – and with impunity – propagate violence against those whose differ with them in belief. It is almost impossible to bring the perpetrators to justice because our executive and judiciary empathise with their cause. The government cannot escape responsibility. Its repeated pledges of actions against militants sound like a broken record. The only way out is to make hate crime punishable with incarceration. But with hypocritical politicians, the possibility of enacting such laws remains a pipe dream.
Z Hussain
Moncton
Canada