A Short History of Baha'i Faith in Pakistan

The Baháʼí Faith originated in the 19th century Persian empire, and soon spread into the neighboring British India, which is now Pakistan and other states. The roots of the religion in Pakistan go back to the 1840s, and it was recognized in the constitution of 1981 as a religious minority with legal rights.[1] According to various sources, there are 2,000 to 87,000 Baha'is living in Pakistan.[2][3]

One of the disciples of the Báb, Shaykh Saʼid-i-Hindi, was from Multan, Pakistan, and was instructed by the Báb to spread the religion to his homeland. The Shaykh converted a blind man named Basir from Multan, who traveled to Iran, met Baháʼu'lláh, and was later killed for his beliefs while in Iran.[4] Another early Indian convert was Qahru'llah, who met the Báb in Chihríq and returned to India.[5] Baháʼu'lláh later encouraged followers to travel to India and spread the Baháʼí Faith there.[6]

In 1921 the Baháʼís of Karachi elected their first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly and acquired a Baháʼí Center before independence.[7][8] In 1923, still as part of India, a regional National Spiritual Assembly was formed for all India and Burma which then included the area now part of Pakistan.[9] By 1956 Baháʼí local assemblies spread across many cities,[10] and in 1957, East and West Pakistan elected a separate National Baháʼí Assembly from India and later East Pakistan became Bangladesh with its own national assembly.[9] In 1978, Baháʼís in Pakistan established a Montessori School in Karachi that continues functioning as the "New Day Secondary School".[11] The school started with three students and by 2015 had over 700 enrolled.[12] There are about 12 Baháʼí Centers (a.k.a. Baháʼí Halls) spread around Pakistan.

 The Local Spiritual Assembly of Quetta was formed in 1943 by Baháʼís from Mumbai and Iran while the Local Spiritual Assembly of Hyderabad was also formed in 1943 by Baháʼís from Karachi. A spiritual assembly was elected for the first time in Jammu in 1946. Baháʼís from Karachi were among those to help elect the local spiritual assemblies in Sukkur and Rawalpindi in 1948. Further local assemblies were formed in Sialkot in 1949, Multan, Chittagong, and Dhaka in 1950, Faisalabad in 1952, Sargodha in 1955, and Abbottabad, Gujranwala, Jahanabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, and Sahiwal by 1956 thus raising the number of local spiritual assemblies to 20. Hand of the Cause Dorothy Beecher Baker spoke at a variety of events in India extending her stay twice to speak at schools – her last public talk was in Karachi in early 1954.[36] 

A newsletter published by Baháʼís loyal to Remey announced in 1964 that almost all the Baháʼís in Pakistan accepted Remey as the successor to Shoghi Effendi.

Courtesy : Wikipedia

At the start of the Crusade, Pakistan was administered by the National Spiritual Assembly of India, Pakistan and Burma. The Guardian’s Plan called for both Burma and Pakistan to form separate National Assemblies, and Pakistan was first to achieve this with the calling of its first Convention in Karachi on April 27-30, 1957. Hand of the Cause Shu’a’u’llah ‘Ala’i was the First Guardian’s personal representative. Later on The Second Guardian declared Shu’a’u’llah ‘Ala’I as covenant breaker for going against the Will and Testament of Abdul Baha and denying the matter of continuation of Guardianship.

Mr. Hashmatullah Qureshi was the Secretary of the newly formed National Spiritual Assembly of Baha’i of Pakistan and after the demise of the first Guardian Shoghi Effendi, he followed the second Guardian Mason Remy fulfilling the Covenant of Baha'u'llah.