Pakistan: Pakistan, a South Asian country with a population of about 240 million, is mostly a home to Muslims. Over 90% of the population follows Islam, with the majority being Sunni Muslims. Hindus, Sikhs, Christians form small religious minority in Pakistan. The Hindus in Pakistan represent only 1.18% of the total population but the Hindus in Pakistan military form a major chunk.Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khwaja Asif, recently shared the information about the number of Hindus serving in the Pakistani Army during the national assembly. The constitution of Pakistan mandates that the president of the country must be a Muslim. For a long time, the Pakistan army only recruited the Muslims. The Hindus were not part of the military. This changed in 2000 when the military began recruiting the Hindus soldiers for the first time. Today, there are around 200 Hindu soldiers serving in the Pakistan army.A major achievement came in 2006, when Captain Danish became the first Hindu Officer in the army. His success inspired many others to join the army. Moreover in 2022 two Hindu Officers, Major Dr. Kailash Kumar, and Major Dr. Anil Kumar, were promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. This marks a proud moment for the Hindu community.Although Hindus are a small minority in Pakistan, their growing presence in the army shows a positive change in how the country includes the minorities. With over 600,000 active and reserve soldiers, the Pakistan Army is one of the major military forces in South Asia and the inclusion of Hindus is a step towards greater diversity.
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