Inclusive or exclusive? Hindu minorities, national identity and intercommunal relation in Pakistan

In plural societies, everyday encounters, cultural norms, and unofficial social boundaries all influence accommodation and social inclusion in addition to legislative safeguards. Although Hindu minority live in close proximity to the Muslim majority in Pakistan, empirical study has not sufficiently examined the degree to which this coexistence results in significant social inclusion.With an emphasis on regular social interactions, involvement in common cultural activities, and access to institutional spaces, this study investigates the patterns of cultural engagement, social inclusion, and exclusion faced by Hindu minorities. It investigates the practical aspects of coexistence and the persistence of social and symbolic borders. The study uses a mixed-methods approach and is based on a structured survey of 370 Hindu respondents from southern Punjab and Sindh that was created using the sampling criteria proposed by Sekaran and Bougie (Sekaran & Bougie, Citation2016). In addition to qualitative field observations, data were gathered through in-person interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis (SPSS v.26). The results show conditional and selective inclusion. Deeper forms of integration were still scarce, despite the high levels of daily connection that were observed, including neighborhood contact, attendance at weddings and funerals, and interfaith friendships. A significant majority disapproved of interfaith marriage (χ² = 64.12, p < 0.001), and there was little cross-community religious ceremonial participation. Significant relationships were discovered between interpersonal interaction and perceptions of inclusion (p < 0.001), although recreational and informal social activities revealed no significant linkage (p = 0.054). A significant cause of perceived prejudice was found to be socioeconomic status (χ² = 50.74, p < 0.001). The study comes to the conclusion that coexistence without complete integration characterizes Hindu-Muslim relations in Pakistan. While persistent cultural taboos and institutional limitations continue to restrict substantive equality, inclusion functions through common politeness and localized cooperation. Moving past symbolic tolerance in favor of ongoing social engagement and fair access to public life is necessary to strengthen inclusion. These results demonstrate the existence of symbolic barriers that prevent meaningful participation even in the face of frequent social interaction by highlighting how Hindu minority negotiate conditional and relational citizenship.