Pakistan, Aug. 11 -- On August 11, 1947, in what would become one of the most defining moments in Pakistan's history, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah addressed the first Constituent Assembly with words that continue to resonate deeply across the country. "You are free," he declared, "you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan." This powerful message was not merely aspirational rhetoric; it was a foundational principle for a vibrant nation envisaged to uphold religious freedom, equality, and dignity for all citizens-regardless of their caste, color, or faith.

Today, nearly eight decades later, that vision finds renewed expression in the Punjab Governme...