Persecuted Pakistan Hindus demand justice, protest at UN council against fundamentalists, Imran Khan govt

Geneva [Switzerland], July 10 (ANI): Highlighting the plight of Hindus in Pakistan, a group of protesters on Friday (local time) gathered at UN Headquarters in Geneva during the 44th session of UN Human Rights Council to protest against the persecution faced by them at the hands of the Islamic fundamentalists supported by Imran Khan government.
"Hindus in Pakistan are systematically marginalised, persecuted and discriminated which led to an increased level of violence notably religiously motivated kidnapping, assault, sexual crimes and murder. Hate messages against Hindus, who form a minuscule minority in Pakistan, are routinely expressed by Pakistani lawmakers and politicians," said the protesters.
Moreover, the hard-line radical Islamists in Pakistan oppose the construction of the Hindu temple claiming that it is contrary to the idea of the Islamic nation. Recently, one Hindu temple in Sindh was brutally attacked by an Islamist mob.
"These attacks are often orchestrated by Islamists leaders who enjoy patronage and protection by the Pakistani government. And Twitter, Facebook is filled by people glorifying this act," the protesters said.
For decades, the minority communities in Pakistan, including Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, have been attacked by the Islamist fundamentalists. The protesters informed that Pakistan's persecution of minorities was recently exposed in a poster put up by a leader of Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), giving an open threat to the Hindus.
In May, the Human Rights Commission in a tweet had condemned the razing of houses of people from the Hindu and Christian communities in Punjab province's Bahawalpur city. The houses were allegedly brought down by local authorities with political influence.
"HRCP is gravely concerned at reports that houses belonging to the Hindu and Christian communities of Yazman in Bahawalpur have been demolished, allegedly by local authorities with political influence," Human Rights Commission of Pakistan tweeted.
"Evictions, the demolition of people's houses, and land grabbing, esp. when such communities are doubly vulnerable, are highly condemnable. HRCP will conduct an independent fact-finding exercise to investigate," HRCP added.
Pakistan is a well-known perpetrator of such human rights violations. On several occasions, it has promised to safeguard the interest of minority communities in the nation. However, continuing attacks on minorities narrate a different story.
Islamabad has been discriminating against its religious minorities. This is manifested in various forms of targeted violence, mass murders, extrajudicial killings, abduction, rapes, forced conversion to Islam, etc., making Pakistani Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyyas, and Shias the most persecuted minorities in the region. (ANI)

Raj Kantak

Guest Author xyz