In the desert town of Mithi, Pakistan, an extraordinary display of religious harmony unfolded as Hindus prepared meals for fasting Muslims, while the Muslim community welcomed a Holi procession, marking a rare moment of unity in a country often marred by religious discrimination.
According to AFP, while religious tensions are prevalent across Muslim-majority Pakistan, Mithi, a city in Sindh province with rolling sand dunes and mud-brick homes, stands as an exception.
The city, home to around 60,000 people, is one of the few places in Pakistan where Hindus form the majority.
“All the traditions and rituals here are celebrated together,” said Raj Kumar, a 30-year-old Hindu businessman. “On Holi, Hindu youth are joined by Muslim youth, celebrating together and applying colours on each other”, Kumar added.
This year, Holi and the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan coincided, bringing both communities closer. Hundreds of Hindus took part in a procession through the streets of Mithi, where they were warmly received by Muslim neighbours at the city square, reported AFP.
“We have learned to live together since childhood. This has come to us through generations, and we are following it too,” said Mohan Lal Mali, a 53-year-old Hindu resident, who arranged a meal for Muslims to break their fast.
Muslim cleric Babu Aslam Qaimkhani, while applying Holi powder to Hindu MP Mahesh Kumar Malani, revealed the close bond between the communities and said, “Today, you might not see colours on me, but in the past, they would drench me in colours.”
According to AFP, the local imam even includes both faiths in his prayers, ending the call for prayer with, “Peace to Hindus and Muslims.”
Mithi remains unique in Pakistan, where freedom of religion is often threatened. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, religious violence and discrimination are on the rise and state authorities often fail to control unrest.
However, Mithi has seen little religious violence, and even during Hindu celebrations, there is no need for armed security, unlike in other parts of Pakistan, AFP noted. Muslims and Hindus vote for each other, and there are no beef shops in the city out of respect for Hindu beliefs.
Instead, Muslims sacrifice only goats during festivals.
“There are no divisions among us. We all are humans, and we all are equal,” said Amaan Ullah, a 19-year-old Muslim labourer.
Despite this peaceful coexistence, residents fear an outside influence might disrupt the harmony. The city’s remote location in the Tharparkar desert shielded it from Partition violence in 1947, when India and Pakistan were created.
However, as Mithi develops, an influx of outsiders has introduced radical elements into the city.
A large banner for the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a radical Islamist group that champions blasphemy laws, now hangs in the city’s central square, AFP reported.
“People coming from outside the city are causing some doubt and a slight sense of fear,” said Padma Lodha, a Hindu school headmistress.
For now, though, Mithi remains a rare symbol of interfaith harmony, where Muslims, Hindus, and even Christians coexist, celebrating their traditions side by side.
