I.A. Rehman, director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, links the erosion of minority rights to the process of Islamisation that the military regime, under President Zia-ul-Haq, initiated in the eighties. Pakistan was declared an Islamic republic, its social and political life was influenced by the Islamist agenda; the Hindus have had fewer privileges and rights since then. "Apparently, cultural marginalisation, discrimination, economic hardships and religious persecution have resulted in many Hindus leaving Pakistan, especially those in Sindh. The Musharraf-led government needs to stop the continued social oppression of the religious minorities here," Rehman told Outlook.