Hollow symbols

Nawaz Sharif did the right thing by participating in the Diwali celebrations in Karachi. He is the prime minister of the people of Pakistan irrespective of their faith, creed, or other identities. This rather unusual, ‘open-arms’ approach of the PM seems to have been a ‘diplomatic reaction’ to the sectarian violence gripping India.

If the prime minister, who enjoys a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, is really for equal treatment of all citizens of Pakistan then he should take measures to introduce reforms and make amendments to the constitution, repealing laws that discriminate on the basis of faith. Otherwise, one would be right in assuming that the appreciation of diversity exhibited by the PM is farcical and a case of hollow, meaningless symbolism.

Noor Muhammad

Islamabad