The Political Participation and Lived Experiences of Religious Minorities in Pakistan
Vincent Allan Inayat
BIO: I’m Vincent Allan Inayat, a graduating senior from Whitworth University, originally from Karachi, Pakistan. During my time at Whitworth, I pursued a double major in Economics and Political Science with George F. Whitworth Honors. My academic journey has been shaped by a deep commitment to research.
Throughout my undergraduate years, I served as a Teaching Assistant for British Politics and Core 250, I worked as a Career Peer Coach, Student Success Coach, Resident Assistant for Arend Hall and Student Program Coordinator for the Honors Program. Furthermore, I am an Equity Research Analyst at the Whitworth Student Investment Group (WSIG).
I was honored to receive the George F. Whitworth Full Tuition Scholarship which made it possible for me to receive a quality private liberal arts education in the US. In addition to academics, I actively participated in cultural exchange events, interfaith dialogues, and campus initiatives.
I am currently working with Grand Fir Analytics as a Research Analyst Intern.
After graduation, I plan to take time to discern my next steps, with the intention of pursuing graduate study. I am committed to further academic inquiry that deepens my understanding of policymaking, governance, and justice on a global scale. My goal is to contribute meaningfully to scholarly and policy-driven conversations.
MAJORS: Economics, Political Science
Project Overview: Growing up in Pakistan, I witnessed firsthand the complexities and tensions surrounding religion, identity, and politics. This project was inspired by my desire to understand how these dynamics affect the lives of those most often left unheard (religious minorities).
My honors capstone project investigates how systemic marginalization affects the political participation and lived experiences of religious minorities in Pakistan, focusing particularly on Christian communities in Karachi. Through qualitative research involving semi-structured interviews, I examined how fear, discrimination, and historical shifts in state ideology contribute to political disengagement. Participants expressed deep frustration with exclusionary practices, legal discrimination through blasphemy laws, and socio-economic disenfranchisement. Yet, I also uncovered stories of remarkable resilience such as communities leveraging civil society, clustering in safe neighborhoods, and using social media as new platforms for political expression.
The study reveals that constitutional protections often exist only in theory. In practice, minorities face a daily reality of fear, legal vulnerability, and cultural exclusion. However, amid these barriers, grassroots activism, youth leadership, and faith-based solidarity offer hope.
This research matters because it gives voice to a silenced population and challenges us to reconsider how democracy functions when entire communities are structurally excluded. It calls for a return to the pluralistic values that once defined Pakistan’s founding vision. Ultimately, I hope my work contributes to a broader understanding of political agency among marginalized groups and helps inform both policy and academic discourse.