few weeks ago, in a meeting with the minority community members on hate and discrimination during elections, someone said, “Lahore now has six seasons: winter, summer, spring, autumn, smog and hate. The last one occurs every time a festival is taking place in the city.” The harsh truth of this statement made everyone listening go quiet for a few minutes.

Recently, on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, a large number of hate posts and comments were noticed on social media. This mindset is on display also on the eve of Christmas and other non-Muslim festivals. The show of hatred ranges from attacking the beliefs of minority communities to attempting to ‘cancel’ all Muslims who wish non-Muslims well.

On this Diwali, many raised questions about how anyone in Pakistan could be celebrating the festival while the people in Gaza were suffering.

There’s absolutely no doubt that the people in Gaza are facing genocide. Anyone with an iota of humanity would be distressed to see the images and videos and stories coming out of Palestine. But that does not justify maltreatment of marginalised communities in Pakistan who are now being subjected to hate in online spaces too.

Will disallowing them their joys and festivities be the right thing to do?

Pakistan, historically a nation with a rich cultural heritage and pluralistic society, has not remained untouched by the divisive currents coursing through online forums. Minority citizens are subjected to vitriolic language, exclusionary rhetoric and a distressing lack of empathy. The irony is stark, as Islam, a religion preaching peace, harmony and compassion, is sometimes invoked to justify the hatred.

The government’s complaint mechanisms and law enforcement agencies must be sensitised, and made more efficient and reliable. They should be able to dispense justice in accordance with the law, so that the people can seek justice without fear, instead of self-censoring or having to shun the cyber world altogether.

The Constitution of Pakistan states that every citizen has a right to life, the state will protect everyone, and every person is free to practice their beliefs. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act seeks to protect people against hate, harassment and attacks on their religious beliefs. Then why do we fail to protect the minorities?

The last I knew, law was equal for everyone. Since when has it been divided? This hate is not emerging in isolation, the amount of hate taught against minority communities in our schools plays an important role in creating this mindset.

It’s time the governments walked the talk. The world has had enough of hate and bloodshed. We don’t have to add to it. To address such issues, government’s complaint mechanisms and law enforcement agencies must be sensitised and made more efficient. They should be able to dispense justice in accordance with the law, so that people can seek justice without fear, instead of self-censoring or having to shun the cyber world altogether.

Online spaces should be platforms for constructive dialogue, understanding and mutual respect. When hate permeates these platforms, it fosters an atmosphere of fear and exclusion, perpetuating stereotypes and deepening societal divides.

The writer is a freelance journalist