Many of the city’s Hindus also observe Ramadan and Iftar has become a social gathering.
This photo taken on February 26, 2026 shows Hindu men preparing Iftar meals during the holy Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, inside a Sufi shrine in Mithi, Tharparkar district of Sindh province. Photo: AFP
Partab Shivani, a Hindu, has fasted intermittently during Ramadan for years, but this time is different as he practices abstinence for the entire holy month.
Every year, he and his friends in Sindh’s Mithi organize Iftar to foster peace and solidarity between Hindus and Muslims.
“I think we need to promote inter-religious harmony. First, we are humans; religions came later,” said Shivani, a 48-year-old social activist. AFPand adds that he also reads the teachings of Buddha.
“His message is about peace and the end of war. Peace can spread through solidarity and mutual support. Distance only widens the gap between people,” he added.
Photo: AFP
Ninety-six percent of Pakistan’s 240 million people are Muslim. Only 2% are Hindus and most live in rural areas of Sindh.
In Mithi, the majority of the 60,000 inhabitants are Hindus.
Many of the city’s Hindus also observe Ramadan and Iftar has become a social gathering in which people of both religions happily participate.
“This has been a wonderful tradition of ours for a long time,” said Mir Muhammad Buledi, a 51-year-old Muslim friend who attended Shivani’s Iftar gathering.
“It’s a beautiful example of harmony between the two communities.”
‘Like brothers’
Following the end of British rule in South Asia in 1947, the subcontinent was divided into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. That triggered widespread religious bloodshed in which hundreds of thousands were killed and millions displaced.
Photo: AFP
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, freedom of religion or belief is constantly threatened, and violence and discrimination on religious grounds increases every year.
State authorities, which often use religious unrest for political gain, have failed to address the crisis, the independent nonprofit says.
But such tensions do not exist in Mithi.
“I am a Hindu but I keep all fasts during this month,” said Sushil Malani, a local politician. “I feel happy being with my Muslim brothers.
“We also celebrate Eid together. This tradition in the region is very old.”
This photo taken on February 26, 2026 shows Hindu men offering prayers inside a Sufi shrine during the holy Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, in Mithi, Tharparkar district of Sindh province. Photo: AFP
Restaurants and tea stalls are closed across the country during the holy month.
Ramesh Kumar, a 52-year-old Hindu who sells sweets and savory goods outside a shrine, keeps his cart covered and locked until Iftar.
“There is no discrimination between us whether someone is Muslim or Hindu. I have seen since my childhood that we all live together as brothers,” he said.
Muslim shrine, Hindu caretaker
Locals say Mithi’s peaceful religious coexistence can be traced back to its remote location, emerging from the sand dunes of the Tharparkar Desert, which borders the modern Indian state of Rajasthan.
Cows, considered sacred in Hinduism, roam freely in the city of Mithi, as they do in India.
At two Sufi shrines in the city center, Hindu families organize meals and bring fruit, food and juices for their Muslim neighbors to break their fast.
“We respect Muslims,” said Mohan Lal Malhi, a Hindu in charge of one of the shrines.
Photo: AFP
Mohan said his parents and elders taught him to respect people regardless of their religion or color, and that traditions are passed from one generation to the next.
Local residents said both communities consider their social relationships more important than their religious identity.
“You will see a [Sikh] gurdwara, a mosque and a shrine here side by side,” Mohan said. “The atmosphere of this area teaches humanity.”
