The color white although considered a subdued color, holds a power of its own. The white in our flag represents the power our minorities hold. Just like a color palette cannot be complete without a white color, our flag would be incomplete without it, just like Pakistan would be without the efforts and contributions of our minorities.
To honor their efforts, here is a tribute to 5 Pakistani Christians who contributed to Pakistan with their laudable zest and zeal.
1. Chief Justice Alvin Robert Cornelius
Justice A R Cornelius was a Pakistani jurist. He was appointed as the first Christain and 4th Chief Justice of Pakistan in 1960 and served until his retirement in 1968. He later served as the Minister of Law Yahya Khan’s cabinet till 1971. (Developing Liberal Jurisprudence in Pakistan: Role of Justice A. R. Cornelius by Hamid Khan)
He was also extremely fond of cricket and his love for the sport made him one of the most prominent names for putting Pakistan Cricket on the map after partition. Justice A R Cornelius was also one of the three original Vice Presidents of the Board of Cricket Control of Pakistan from 1948 till 1953 (Scoreline). Recently, a book on Justice Cornelius named ‘Justice A R Cornelius: A Constitutionalist’ was launched by a Lahore-based law firm. The book is a tribute to his life-long contributions to the country. (Dawn)
2. Cecil Chaudhry
Cecil Chaudhry was a proficient fighter pilot, a human rights activist, and an academic. He joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1958 and besides graduating from the Air Force Academy, he also went on to pursue a double BSc degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering in 1960.
During the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971, he served as a flight lieutenant and squadron leader respectively. He also aced several aerial battles against India. To honor his commendable efforts during the two wars, Cecil Chaudhry was conferred with the Sitara-e-Jurat and Sitara-i-Basalat. In 1986, post-retirement, he contributed to Pakistan as an educationalist. He worked as a principal for St. Anthony’s College and St. Mary’s Academy for many years and later took on the role of the director of Punjab Education Foundation. (Dawn)
Cecil Chaudhry was also involved in activism. He helped bring educational reforms and worked for special children. On top of that, the veteran fighter pilot was a significant player in the 14 year-long campaign that helped reinstate the joint electoral system for minorities. He was awarded the President’s Pride of Performance for his tremendous contribution to the country. He was survived by 3 daughters and a son when he passed in 2012. One of his daughters, Michelle Chaudhry, runs a non-profit foundation called the ‘Cecil & Iris Foundation’ that overlooks the safety of minorities.
3. Julius Salik
Julius Salik is an Islamabad-based activist and the founder of the World Minorities Alliance which champions minorities’ rights and status. He created the Minorities Alliance in 1996 which didn’t just advocate for the rights of Christians but also other religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Julius’ efforts didn’t go unnoticed, as he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize that same year. Julius has also served as Pakistan’s Federal Minister.
4. Mary Emily Gonsalves
Sister Mary Emily Gonsalves served as the Principal of St. Joseph’s College for Women from 1961 till 1983 even though Schools and Colleges were nationalized in 1972. However, she was appointed as the Principal again in 2005 when the college was denationalized and she continued till 2010. (Express Tribune)
To honor her commendable contribution to education, Sister Mary was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan in 2009.
5. Iqbal Masih
Iqbal Masih was just 4 years old when he was sold to a carpet weaver for less than 7 dollars. He was to work there until his family’s loan was paid off. However, his family’s financial condition kept deteriorating and so did his Iqbal’s condition in that factory. Iqbal was forced to work for 12 hours with minimal food. However, when Pakistan banned child labor, Iqbal, at the age of 10, joined the Bonded Labor Liberation Front (BLLF) and when his story reached BLLF’s Chairman, he helped free Iqbal from those horrible conditions. He completed his education and became a prominent voice advocating against child slavery.
Masih’s outstanding efforts to help child laborers did not go unnoticed. He received the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1994. However, on one unfortunate day, Iqbal was shot and killed by unknown attackers. He was just 12 years old.
We will be forever obliged for their relentless and unflinching will to make Pakistan what it is today.
Are You Uncomfortable Wishing Merry Christmas to a Fellow Pakistani?
Sources used in this article include Dawn, Parhlo, The Express Tribune, & Global Village Space.
