Faisalabad: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) urged authorities to control over the hardline religious groups and their violent demonstrations. In current situation HRFP is highly concerned with minorities’ safety & security as the violations against religious minorities are growing and the religious radicalizations is more dangerous to them.

Naveed Walter president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said that to accept the demands for temporary settlements with such violent religious groups is not a solution as they demanding intending in fact to bring country towards Islamization and isolation from world. He said the religious group’s demands about protecting blasphemy laws and their direct involvements in many cases where minorities victimized and threatened are reportedly known. He said TLP is a same group who made big demonstrations on Supreme Court’s verdict about acquittal of Asia bibi and they held three days of sit-ins in November 2018.

Naveed Walter said the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah aimed to establish a country on liberal model ensuring the protection of minorities with equal status and provision of space to citizens for play important role whether they were Hindus, Christians or other religious denominations.

HRFP fact findings together with legal and immediate actions team met number of victimized individuals & families and noticed the interventions and threats of such religious groups behind or directly with culprits. Since 1990, at least 78 people have been killed in mob violence and targeted attacks related to blasphemy accusations in Pakistan (Al Jazeera reported), while the most recent growing numbers of violations are alarming;

On 8th April 2021 two Christian nurses Mariam Lal and Neush Arooj during performing duties in DHQ Hospital, Faisalabad are falsely alleged for blasphemy (295-B). After registering FIR on 9th April 2021, arrests and appearing court on same day, ordered for 14 days judicial remand where one of the panelist HRFP’s legal counsel Muhammad Zahid is dealing with further legal proceedings following next hearing on 23rd April 2021.

Merab Masih a five year old Christian girl resident of Brick Kiln factory of Faisalabad murdered on 27th March 2021. FIR has been registered to unknown however the step father is blamed and arrested being suspected. Merab was sexually assaulted, murdered and her dead body was found in brick-kiln factory corridor area. 

Muskan Manzoor aged 17 a Christian girl, daughter of Manzoor Javed resident of Jaranwala was abducted on 20th January 2021 from home by local resident Shahbaz Hussain. The family registered FIR but Muskan is not found yet. The family said that she has abducted for forced conversion and marrying.

Jadaon Masih aged 14 a Christian boy of Sammundri was sexually assaulted on 31st December 2020 evening when his father Mukhtar Masih sent him to get milk from shop and was trapped to a newly built home where he was sexually assaulted by a local resident Malik Maqsood. Even after FIR registering police is reluctant for further operations.

Rida Rafique aged 15 a Christian girl resident of Jaranwala a laborer in a factory near the village. On 19th December 2020 while going to factory she was abducted and has forcefully converted and married with

abductor Muhammad Mian aged 45 who was supervisor at same factory and already married with two women.

Earnest Pervaiz aged 50 resident of Faisalabad a pastor in local Church, his land was grabbed by some people as his conflict rooted since October 2018; Earnest is demanding to get his land back.

The Hindus specially in Sindh and small minority groups are highly affected, pressurized and supported from religious groups to culprits specially in abductions, forced conversions, forced marriages the religious groups and some shrines heads are directly involve;

Kanta Meghwar aged 13 a Hindu girl daughter of Harkhu resident of Badin was abducted on 16th March 2021 by local residents Muhammad Naveed. The family alleged that the police is supporting to culprits because of her abduction for forced conversion to Islam and marrying with a Muslim man.

Kavita Bai aged 13 a Hindu girl, daughter of Takhat Kumar resident of Kashmore was abducted on 9th March 2021 from home by feudal lord Mushtaq Balaknai. The family registered FIR but Kavita is not found yet. The family alleged that the police is supporting to culprits because of her abduction for forced conversion to Islam and marrying with a Muslim man.

Babita Meghwar aged 20 a Hindu girl, resident of Tharparkar was murdered on 31st December 2020 by Gul Muhmmad Sand ASI in Police Station Mithi. Family is seeking justice and police is not cooperating.

The attacks on minority families and communities are a routine;

Hindu Bheel families of Liaqatpur in Bahawalpur were attacked by local feudal lords Raja Imtiaz and Abid Cheema on 31st March 2021. 12 huts and families with children and women severely burnt. Bheels protested against feudal lords but the police didn’t help them.

Five members of a Hindu family with head Ram Chand were found dead on 5th March 2021. Their throats slit with some sharp-edged weapon in their house in Abu Dhabi Colony, Rahim Yar Khan.