The Pakistan Hindu Panchayat is the leading socio-political representative organization of the Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 community in heavily Muslim Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

.

Hindus of Pakistan

Hindus in Pakistan make barely 2% of the total population, roughly 3 million people. The Hindu minority has reserved seats in the National Assembly and can also vote for their local candidate.

Hindus are mainly concentrated in the Province of Sindh

Sindh

Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...

 where they form around nearly 8% of the population.

Mission and Organization

The PHP represents the Hindu community on social and political issues, bringing them together to protect their interests, advance education and opportunity and protect the basic rights and freedoms, especially of worship and assembly, of Hindus all over Pakistan. The task of the PHP has become more difficult in face of increasing Islamization since the 1980s in Pakistan, especially the rise of global Islamic fundamentalism

Islamic fundamentalism

Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...

, terrorism

Terrorism

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

 and increased tensions with archrival neighbor, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Representation with Government

The PHP organizes support for the Hindu candidates in Hindu electorates, and lobbies the Government of Pakistan on issues important to Hindus, such as the security of temples, and contentious issues like protests against the abduction of Hindus for ransoms and forcible conversions.

The PHP holds an annual national conference, and has branches in all Pakistani provinces. Another important and linked organization is the Pakistani Hindu Welfare Association.

See also

• Hinduism
  Hinduism
  Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
  
  
• Hinduism in Pakistan
  Hinduism in Pakistan
  Hinduism is the indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent, including Pakistan. However since the independence of Pakistan in 1947 as a Muslim majority nation, Hindus have had a much smaller numerical presence there...
  
  
• Hindu and Buddhist architectural heritage of Pakistan
  Hindu and Buddhist architectural heritage of Pakistan
  The Hindu and Buddhist architectural heritage of Pakistan is part of a long history of settlement and civilization in Pakistan. The Indus Valley civilization collapsed in the middle of the second millennium BCE and was followed by the Vedic Civilisation, which extended over much of northern India...
  
  
• Scheduled Caste Federation of Pakistan