DENIZENS OF ALIEN WORLDS

46
possible that Pakistan and India have come to the brink of war several times since 1999
when the last survey was carried out. Moreover, since General Pervez Musharraf himself
reversed the policy of carrying out a covert war in Kashmir and has talked of averting
war, students and teachers might have felt that it was safer and perhaps more desirable
not to support war. Thus there is less support of militant policies now then there was in
1999-2000.
However, the level of tolerance for the religious minorities is not very high, at
least for the Ahmedis and the Hindus. However, it is quite high for Christians and very
high for women. The relevant questions and their responses are as follows:
Box 3.11
Tolerance Among Urdu-medium school students 2002-2003 (N=230)
(In percentages)
What should be Pakistan‘s priorities?
Yes No Don‘t Know
1. Give equal rights to Ahmedis in all jobs etc? 46.95 36.95 16.09
2. Give equal rights to Pakistani Hindus in all jobs 47.39 42.61 10
etc?
3. Give equal rights to Pakistani Christians in all 65.65 26.52 7.83
jobs etc?
4. Give equal rights to men and women as in 75.22 17.39 7.39
Western Countries?
Source: Annexure-2
The questions in the survey of 1999-2000 were essentially the same though,
unfortunately, questions (2) and (3) had been collapsed into one question. The responses
to these are reproduced below:
Box 3.12
Tolerance Among Urdu-medium School Students 1999-2000 (N=510)
(In percentages)
Yes No Don‘t
Know