68 Non-Muslims from Pakistan That Have Made the Country a Better Place
Pakistan is a nation of over 180 million people, both Muslims and non-Muslims. Often times, we tend to put emphasis on Muslims who made Pakistan proud. There’s no denying the contribution of Muslims to the cause of Pakistan, however, it’s time we celebrated the folks who represent the white stripe on our flag.
1. Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry
Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry was an academic, human rights activist, and veteran fighter pilot who has fought in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 and later, as a Squadron Leader, in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat.
2. Ardeshir Cowasjee
Ardeshir Cowasjee is a leading philanthropist, businessman and columnist based in Karachi. He is the Chairman of Cowasjee Group and is engaged in philanthropic activities apart from being regarded as an old ‘guardian’ of the city of Karachi.
3. Indu Mitha (née Chatterjee)
Indu Mitha is a Pakistani exponent of Bharatnatyam, a form of Indian classical dance. She is also a faculty member at the Rawalpindi campus of the National College of the Arts.
4. Deena M. Mistri
Deena M. Mistri was an educationist from Pakistan. She started teaching English to the secondary classes at the B.V.S. in 1951. She was the first lady teacher to teach the secondary classes during those days. Mrs. Deena M. Mistri served the Bai Virbaijee Soparivala Parsi High School for 55 years.
5. Byram Dinshawji Avari
Byram Dinshawji Avari is a prominent Pakistani businessman and twice Asian Games gold medalist. Together with his sons, Dinshaw and Xerxes, he owns and operates the Avari Group of companies, of which he is the chairman.
6. Anil Dalpat Sonavaria
Anil Dalpat Sonavaria was the first Hindu ever to play test cricket for Pakistan. Dalpat was a lower-order batsman and wicket keeper who represented Pakistan for a brief interval in the early 1980s as a replacement of Wasim Bari.
7. Antao D’Souza
Antao D’Souza is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in six test matches from 1959 to 1962. He was the fourth Christian to play test cricket for Pakistan. He was a medium pace bowler and tail-end obdurate batsman.
8. Aban Marker Kabraji
Aban Marker Kabraji, Pakistan’s leading environmentalist, is working as Regional Director IUCN, World Conservation Union. In this position, she is overseeing IUCN in 23 countries of the region.
9. Arthur Nayyar
Arthur Nayyar, known popularly as A Nayyar, is a leading Pakistani playback singer. He was one of the most popular singers of our film industry in 70s and 80s. He sang many ghazals and geets for Pakistan Television and earned much acclaim.
10. Anthony Theodore Lobo
Anthony Theodore Lobo is a Pakistani Roman Catholic bishop. Bishop Lobo has made important contributions to education in the country. In recognition of his services to the cause of literature and education, the President of Pakistan conferred on him the President’s “Pride of Performance ” Award in 1990.
11. Bapsi Sidhwa
Bapsi Sidhwa is a renowned novelist and published author of Pakistani origin who writes in English and is resident in America. She has previously taught at the University of Houston, Rice University, Columbia University, Mount Holyoke College, and Brandeis University.
12. Danish Prabha Shanker Kaneria
Danish Prabha Shanker Kaneria is a Pakistani cricketer who continued the tradition of great Pakistani leg spin bowlers and possesses a very well disguised googly. In test matches, Kaneria holds the record for most wickets by any Pakistani spin bowler and fourth on the list of most test wickets overall, only behind Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan.
13. Irene Perveen
Irene Perveen was a Pakistani playback singer from the 1960s, who mainly sang for Pakistani films; she started her career in 1958’s film Noor-e-Islam. Parveen sang many hit songs for films, and made quite an impact in the East Pakistani Industry too.
14. Jagan Nath Azad
Jagan Nath Azad was a renowned Urdu poet, writer and academician. A literary giant, Azad penned over 70 books, including poetry collections, epic poems, biographies and travelogues. He is also accredited with writing Pakistan’s first national anthem at the request of Quaid-e-Azam.
15. Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta
Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta was the first elected Mayor of Karachi and remembered as the “Maker of Modern Karachi”.
16. Jamsheed Kaikobad Ardeshir Marker
Jamsheed Kaikobad Ardeshir Marker, Hilal-e-Imtiaz is a veteran Pakistani diplomat. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having been ambassador to more countries than any other person. He speaks English, Urdu, Gujarati, French, German, Russian and was Pakistan’s top envoy to the United States and more than a dozen other countries for more than three decades.
17. Jogendranath Mandal
Jogendranath Mandal was one of the central and leading Founding Fathers of modern state of Pakistan. He served as the country’s first minister of law and labor, was the second minister of commonwealth and Kashmir affairs.
18. Chief Justice Alvin “Bobby” Robert Cornelius
Chief Justice Alvin “Bobby” Robert Cornelius, Hilal-e-Pakistan, was a Pakistani jurist and judge, serving as the 4th Chief Justice of Pakistan from 1960 until 1968. Alvin Robert Cornelius became the first Christian Chief Justice, making him one of the most famous and influential figures ever to serve on the supreme court.
