On Pakistan’s Independence Day, President Asif Ali Zardari made remarks about the country’s Hindu minority that raised questions about how religious minorities are viewed in Pakistan. Zardari, who has often been referred to as “Mr 10 Percent” over corruption allegations, said Pakistan and its Muslims “tolerate” Hindus, whom he claimed account for 3–4% of the population. The choice of the word “tolerate” raises a broader question: should a state merely tolerate its minorities, or should it treat them as equal citizens?
Pakistan’s latest 2023 census records the Hindu population at 5.2 million, or 2.17% of the country’s total population, making the figure lower than the 3–4% cited by Zardari.
The use of “tolerate” by a President while describing a religious minority is notable, particularly when the country’s Constitution provides protections for minority rights. The issue carries additional significance in Pakistan, where Islam is constitutionally recognised as the state religion.
“The Indians have a different point of view. They have their own agenda in mind. They believe in Akhand Bharat. But there is a lot in between which they have forgotten,” Zardari said.
He added, “We are Muslims. They are not. But we are Muslims of the mindset that we tolerate 3-4% Hindu population.”
“They are as free, as good as anywhere else they were,” he further said, adding, “They would rather be with us than be with them.”
Zardari’s comments come amid continued speculation that Pakistan’s powerful military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, could be seeking to replace him as President.
The remarks were made while Zardari addressed a gathering at the Yadgar-e-Fatah Victory Monument ceremony in Islamabad on August 14. Pakistan built the monument to commemorate what it describes as the “remarkable triumph in Marka-e-Haq”, the name given by Islamabad to its 2025 mini-war with India.
His comments also attracted strong reactions in India.
Kerala High Court advocate Rohit Madasseril criticised Zardari’s remarks, saying he had encountered different forms of “psychosis” but had never seen such a “terrifying version”, while suggesting that Pakistani thinking should be examined by scientists.
Lawyer, author and Observer Research Foundation researcher Amit Krishnakant Paul also criticised the remarks, saying it was unfortunate that, nearly 80 years after Independence, Pakistan’s President was still attempting to create divisions by referring to India on Pakistan’s Independence Day, while also making an inaccurate claim.
WHAT ZARDARI’S CHOICE OF WORD REVEALS ABOUT PAKISTAN’S TREATMENT OF MINORITIES
Zardari’s description of Hindus as a population that Pakistan “tolerates” is particularly significant coming from the country’s President. Although Pakistan’s constitutional system gives Islam a special status, it also formally guarantees religious freedom to minority communities.
The terminology is especially sensitive given the history of Hindu and other religious minorities in Pakistan, who have faced forced conversions, abductions, discrimination and mob violence.
The 2023 census places Pakistan’s Hindu population at 5.2 million, equivalent to 2.17% of the total population.
Figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics show 52.1 lakh Hindus in the country. This total includes 38.68 lakh people classified as “Hindu Jati” and another 13.49 lakh listed as Scheduled Castes.
That figure is considerably below the 3–4% estimate mentioned by Zardari. However, the larger concern relates to the position of Pakistan’s Hindu population over the decades.
Religious persecution in Pakistan has not been restricted to Hindus. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has reported that Christians and Ahmadiyya Muslims have also been subjected to mob violence and attacks, while Hindu and Christian girls remain vulnerable to forced conversions.
A LOOK AT THE HINDU POPULATION IN PAKISTAN OVER TIME
The first issue is getting the historical figures into the correct context.
The frequently cited claim that Hindus represented around 14.6% of Pakistan’s population at Partition is misleading. The 14.6% figure comes from the 1941 census covering territories that now constitute Pakistan.
Figures from before 1971 can also create confusion because Pakistan at that time included East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, which had a significantly larger Hindu population. For instance, the 1951 census recorded religious demographics separately for West Pakistan and East Bengal.
Therefore, it would be inaccurate to simply state that the Hindu population declined from 14.6% of “Pakistan’s population in 1947” to 2.17% today without taking into account the territorial changes caused by Partition and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
FORCED CONVERSIONS, PERSECUTION AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HINDUS
Even after considering the historical population differences, Pakistan’s Hindu minority has continued to face significant discrimination and insecurity.
Over the past decade, numerous Hindu families have left Pakistan and moved to India, citing religious persecution, insecurity and a lack of opportunities among the reasons for their migration.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a domestic rights organisation, has repeatedly documented threats faced by religious minorities. Its 2025 report highlighted the vulnerability of Hindu and Christian women and girls to forced conversions and underage marriages, particularly in Sindh and Punjab.
Reports during 2024-25 continued to document cases in which Hindu girls were allegedly abducted, forcibly converted and married to Muslim men. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has also recorded several such cases involving underage Hindu girls in Sindh, including allegations of abduction, forced conversion and marriage.
Pakistan’s record on religious freedom also raises questions about Zardari’s claim that Hindus in the country are “as free, as good as anywhere else”.
Human Rights Watch has documented how Pakistan’s blasphemy laws can expose religious minorities to arbitrary arrests, prosecutions and mob violence. Its 2025 report noted an increase in violence linked to blasphemy accusations against religious minorities and criticised the authorities for failing to adequately hold perpetrators accountable.
The central issue, therefore, extends beyond population statistics and concerns the distinction between merely having a minority population and ensuring equal citizenship and rights for that community.
Zardari described Pakistan’s Hindus as a group that is “tolerated” and suggested they would prefer living in Pakistan rather than India. But tolerance represents a very different standard from equality.
Pakistan’s record on human rights indicates that the numerical presence of minorities alone cannot be considered evidence of religious freedom.
Zardari’s assertion therefore faces questions when viewed against Pakistan’s own record.
