Abstract
The present study historicizes the dynamics of socio-cultural and political relations between the state of Pakistan
and the Christian community as a minority In a global perspective, minorities feel by and large pushed to the
luminal spaces in the matters of national policymaking. And Pakistan is no exception to this phenomenon. It is a
common notion that minorities globally are being marginalised in the policymaking process by the nation-states and
Pakistan is no exception to that. It is generally alleged that the State of Pakistan has excluded the Christians from
the mainstream decision making bodies and put them at the corner.3However, Christians have played a significant
role in the creation and consolidation of Pakistan.4After the establishment of Pakistan, the Christian community has
massively been contributing in all walks of life in Pakistan, but they have the feeling as if the state has excluded the
minorities by adopting the exclusionary constitutional means.5
This paper attempts to understand the state policy
towards minorities, particularly the Christians through a process of legislation adopted in the constitutional
development of Pakistan, and the response of the Christians to the state policies is also analysed. Still, a few critics
maintain that these constitutional safeguards are not enough to grant equal rights to the minorities. Instead, they
argue that these measures have converted Christians into a marginalised community in Pakistan. Therefore, it is of
immense significance to reevaluate the status of the religious minorities in Pakistan, especially that of Christians.
This paper, while looking at the historical perspective, will try to investigate the State’s policies towards the
Christians and the role of Christians in the making and strengthening of Pakistan. It argues that the State of
Pakistan has taken concrete steps towards the democratization of society where no segment of society feels
marginalized. The Christians, who are active and vibrant citizens of Pakistan still feel that they have not been given
equal opportunities to flourish c in the mainstream politics of Pakistan; hence they feel marginalised.
Saeed Ahmed Butt, Muhammad Iqbal Chawla. (2019) Marginalization and Minorities: Recontextualisng the Role of Christians as a Minority in Pakistan, Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, Volume 56, Issue 2.
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