HOW a country treats those who are different from its majority often says more about its character than how it celebrates its majority. That idea sits at the heart of Punjab’s decision to extend what was once a single day of recognition for religious minorities into a full week. Minority Week is not simply about celebration; it is an opportunity to revisit Pakistan’s founding ideals, acknowledge the contribution of non-Muslim citizens and reaffirm that equal citizenship must be a lived reality.

On the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Government has launched Minority Week from August 7 to 11, replacing the earlier one-day observance with religious, social and cultural activities across the province. Its timing is meaningful. As Pakistan prepares to mark independence on August 14, the initiative invites citizens to look beyond ceremony and recognize minorities as genuine partners in Pakistan’s past, present and future.

Pakistan was founded in August 1947 on the promise that citizenship would not depend on religious identity. In his historic August 11 address to the Constituent Assembly, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared that all the citizens would be free to worship according to their faith. That vision was not simply about tolerating difference; it was about equality, security and citizenship.

The........

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