Islamabad, Nov 14 (UNI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday wished Hindu citizens of the country on the occasion of Deepawali.
"Happy Diwali to all our Hindu citizens", the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter in Urdu.
Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, is celebrated every year with gaiety and enthusiasm all over the world by the Hindu community.
Pakistan has the fifth-largest Hindu population in the world with 8 million of them currently living in the Islamic nation.
Notably, according to several media reports, there has also been a historical decline of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism in some areas of Pakistan with forced conversions acting as a stimuli to the menace.
According to a research paper published by University of Birmingham, in November 2016, a Bill addressing the problems of forced conversions was passed unanimously by the Sindh Provisional Assembly. "However, the Bill failed to make it into law as the then Governor, Mr. Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, returned it in January 2017. Mr. Siddiqui died shortly afterwards. The Bill was effectively blocked by the mobilisation of the Islamist groups and parties", an excerpt from the paper read.
UNI JAL SB 1244