Atrocities against Hindus continue to soar unabated in cash-strapped Pakistan

New Delhi, Feb 01: Pakistan may be facing one crisis after another, but the persecution of minorities especially from the Hindu community continues unabated.

In the most recent incident, a Sikh who had gone to pick up his daughter from school in Jacobad, Sindh was threatened at gun-point.

According to Harsh Singh, he was picking up his daughters from school when he was threatened with his life by some local Muslims. Singh who is seen narrating his ordeal in a video posted by Narain Das Bheel, Founder and Chief Organiser of the Hindu organisation of Sindh said that the Muslims even threatened to kill his daughters. He added that his daughters are now scared to go to school.

Persecution on the rise:

Human rights activist, Mahesh Vasu who actively tracks and documents the persecution of Hindus in Pakistan prepared an annual report for the year 2022. The victims are either poor or illiterate and hence most of the crimes against them go unnoticed or un-reported, he points out.

Addressing the Ministry of External Affairs, he said that there were in all 96 cases of abduction, forced conversion and marriages and gang rapes of girls and women in the year 2022. Abduction, force conversion and marriage were the highest in number at 67. There were 11 incidents of gang-rape and the number of gang rape, murder and abduction stood at 3. Abduction and missing and attempt to abduct and rape cases stood at 6 and 4 respectively, he added. Five managed to escape from captivity after being abducted and forcibly converted the report by Mahesh Vasu also said.

There were in all eight incidents of atrocities where boys were concerned. They include abduction and gang rape of boys (2) and abduction and forced conversion of boys (6).

The report also said that there were 118 cases in which men and women had been murdered in targeted killings. 74 were handed by the neck on trees and inside their houses, the report said. 42 dead bodies were found on the ground, while 2 cases involved brutal torture and murder.

There were 19 cases of extortion and brutal attacks in 2022, while 15 other cases relating to brutal attack and critical injury had been reported.

Illegal arrests:

In all there were illegal arrests that were made in 2022 in Pakistan. These cases included, a Hindu marrying a Muslim girl, false blasphemy, harassment by police, enforced disappearance and FIR against a 5 year old boy for holding deadly weapons.

Attacks on Temples, Houses, Graveyard and Crematorium:

The report said that 7 Hindu Temples had been attacked. 44 houses also came under attack, while one crematorium had been desecrated. The report said that 106 houses had been burnt, one house was demolished and 2 graveyards were destroyed. 7 cases of land grabbing and brutal attack had also been reported.

194 cases of mass conversions were reported, while 77 persons from the minority community in Pakistan were forcibly confined in private prisons by Muslim land lords. They were later freed by Hindu advocates, the report also noted.