The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is no doubt an Islamic State made for the purpose of providing a safe space for the Muslims to practice and profess their religion. But the Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah specifically announced that in this free Islamic State the minorities will have the same religious freedom to not only practice their own religions, but also to make their own religious institutions.

Keeping the same spirit alive, the Constitution of Pakistan in its Article 20 legally grants this freedom to all the citizens of Pakistan. It states:

Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion.

Article 20(a)

This includes Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Parsis, Jews, etc. According to this Article, everyone is free to go to their mosques, churches, temples, synagogues, and other places of worship; just like Quaid e Azam instructed. Moreover, there is freedom to manage religious denominations and sects (فرقہ). The constitution states this right in the following words:

Every religious denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.

Article 20(b)

All these rights are “subject to law, public order and morality”, which means that the government can impose certain reasonable restrictions on the exercise of this right to protect the general public or to protect the overall moral conditions of the citizens. Apart from this, your freedom of religion is absolute, and no official or other person can legally deprive you of this right. If you feel like someone’s religious freedom is being curtailed, you can approach the High Court which will make necessary orders to restore this fundamental right.