Ishtiaq Ahmed The Jaranwala incident has made international news. Those responsible for such violence against minority communities perhaps do not fully grasp the enormity of their violent actions on the image, reputation and the integrity of the country on the global stage. Such ill conceived actions only go to re-enforce the negative perceptions of the country that is in flux being torn apart by the sectarian hatred, ensuing violence and consequently becoming govern less. This image is extremely unhelpful for Pakistan to plead its case for much needed international cooperation for it to bail itself out of the current dire economic malaise. In such circumstances, sectarian violence and resurgence of extremism can only prove to be the Achilles heel. Hence, there are a number of very good reasons for Pakistan to re-evaluate Its uncertain approach to the place, position, and neglectful treatment of its minority communities: Jaranwalla: An Eye Opener To Extremism Firstly, to honour the sentiments of the country’s founding father, Qaide-e-Azam, who envisaged Pakistan to be a land of freedom, opportunities, and safety for all to be served by an inclusive and impartial government to guarantee religious freedom, rule of law,and equality irrespective of colour, caste or creed with equal rights, privileges and obligations. These were noble and powerful sentiments that have gone wayward for the nation that seems to have forgotten its purpose and direction. Without affording a proper place and position to minorities as equal and inclusive citizens of Pakistan, the vision of the founding father and thus Pakistan will remain unfulfilled. Secondly, the litmus test for any society’s claim to equality and justice is how it treats its minorities i.e what steps it takes to protect its minority citizens against prejudice, discrimination, and marginalisation. Pakistan has primarily failed in this regard. Despite lofty and misdirected claims, the fact remains that the successive governments of the country have grossly failed to address the deep-rooted prejudice and discrimination against the minority communities who continue to experience unchecked abuse and denial of opportunities in almost all aspects of life. Such differential treatment is ingrained throughout society and its institutions, despite sporadic examples of dotted progress. Generally, minorities are treated as second-class citizens and not even that.  Unfortunately, Pakistan grossly fails the litmus test regarding its treatment of minorities. Thirdly, the poor treatment of minorities in Pakistan adversely impacts on the Pakistanis living and working in different parts of the world, most significantly in Europe and America. Incidents of abuse and violence against minorities in Pakistan only go to ferment and harden prejudice and hatred against Pakistani diaspora overseas making their case for fair and equal treatment doubly difficult. Pakistan Vying For Unity Every time an incident of abuse against minorities happens in Pakistan, they suffer the backlash of heightened prejudice and discrimination. This is an untenable situation for the people of Pakistani heritage spread around the globe particularly in Europe and America. Fourthly, the incidents of violence such as that in Jaranwala go to distort the image of Islam and its followers. Such incidents re-enforce the negative perceptions of Islam being a religion of violence and intolerance thus hardening the prejudices against Islam and Muslims. Sadly, these misconceptions are re-enforced due to ill conceived actions of a few. It is no coincidence that the Islamophobia has been a rising trend throughout Europe and America particularly since 9/11 and other incidents of terrorism in Britain, France and in the other parts of Europe. It is equally no coincidence that we are seeing more and more acts of blasphemy being openly committed involving the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet. Fifthly, we now live in the age of social media. The global village is a reality. The affairs of Pakistan are no longer distant and hidden to the world. The news of what happens inside the country travels and spreads fast. The impact on the image and the reputation of Pakistan around the globe is immediate and huge. Therefore, Pakistan needs to proactively address the grievances of its minority faith citizens for all the above reasons and more. This is paramount to Pakistan becoming an inclusive and cohesive society in order to regain its proper integrity and pride on the world stage. The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs. The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy. Post Views: 2,460