Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari made a peculiar remark regarding the country's Hindu population during an independence day event, drawing sharp reactions from India. Asif Ali Zardari stated that Pakistan's Muslim population tolerates the three to four percent Hindu community and that Hindus are free in Pakistan. Following this statement, lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar took a swipe at Zardari, calling him Mr. Ten Percent. Meanwhile, social media users pointed out that the actual Hindu population figure is less than three percent. However, the larger question in this entire controversy is whether Pakistan, while talking about tolerating its Hindu citizens, is even able to provide equality and security to all Muslims within its own country, given that there are people there who are not even considered Muslim.
Zardari's Akhand Bharat Claim and Census Facts
Targeting India, Zardari stated that Indians hold the mindset of Akhand Bharat. He then mentioned the Muslim majority in Pakistan, asserting that it tolerates the country's Hindu population and that Hindus are independent there. This sparked the controversy. In any democratic nation, the language of tolerating a community raises inherent questions, making it feel as though the country is not run by a constitution and that civil rights are granted at the mercy of a majority community. A factual correction is also necessary here. According to Pakistan's official 2023 census, the Hindu population stands at 2.17 percent, not 3 to 4 percent. The census recorded the number of Hindus at around 5.2 million.
The Plight of Muslims Within Pakistan
The list of communities facing religious and political pressure in Pakistan is not limited to Hindus alone. The country's Shia Muslims have also faced major terrorist attacks. On February 6 of this year, a suicide attack at the Khadija tul Kubra mosque in Islamabad resulted in the deaths of at least 31 people and injured over 170 others, with the Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attack. The situation of the Ahmadi community is tied directly to Pakistan's laws. Article 260 of the constitution places Ahmadis in the non-Muslim category. Human rights organizations recorded complaints of violence, bans on religious activities, and discrimination against Ahmadis even in 2026. Enforced disappearances and human rights violations by security forces in Balochistan have also long been major issues.
Who Exactly is Being Tolerated?
The biggest question in this entire controversy is how Hindus are being tolerated, especially when neither do Hindus engage in any kind of oppression nor have they taken up arms against the state. Instead, they are busy trying to protect the honor of their sisters and daughters, with many unaware of how long their lives will remain safe. When the president of a country uses language like we tolerate them for his own citizens, the debate transcends the mere percentage of the Hindu population and touches upon fundamental human rights.
Javed Akhtar's Social Media Criticism
Reacting to Zardari's comment on social media, Javed Akhtar mocked him by calling him Mr. Ten Percent. He wrote that Zardari talks about tolerating 3 to 4 percent of the Hindu population in his country while always remaining insensitive toward groups with less than 10 percent population. Javed Akhtar's remark expanded the debate beyond India and Pakistan, bringing the question of minorities and religious freedom inside Pakistan to the forefront. He posted on X, mentioning that Pakistan's Mr. Zardari, who came into prominence after his marriage to Benazir Bhutto, claims to tolerate a 3 to 4 percent Hindu population in his country, adding that Zardari has always been insensitive toward any group with a population of less than 10%.
