Pakistan, long described by human rights monitors and the Western media as one of the worst countries for religious minorities, is trying to improve its international image through what can only be described as symbolic gestures and public relations gimmicks.

Soon after the 2020 annual report of the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom listed Pakistan’s continued disregard for the religious freedom of its Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Ahmadis, the Pakistan government announced the decision to create a National Commission for Minorities.