Pak minister visits Sukkur temple to address Hindus' grievances

Karachi, Aug 12 (ANI): Pakistan's Minister for Political Affairs Maula Bux Chandio met members of the Hindu community at the Shri Ram Temple in Sukkur to address their grievances.

The Express Tribune quoted Chandio, as saying that people in Sindh and Balochistan, in particular, regardless of their religion, were being victimised by criminals.

"Muslims and Hindus are both being kidnapped for ransom," he said, adding that legislation to deal with the issue of kidnapping and eventual conversion of Hindu girls was under consideration in the National Assembly and the Sindh Assembly.

According to Chandio, the perception that Hindus were migrating to India on a large scale was wrong.

"I have been told by the Hindu Panchayat president that many Hindu families have shifted to Canada, UK and USA, for their children's higher education and better future, and not because of lawlessness (in Pakistan)," The Express Tribune quoted Chandio, as saying.

He said that more than 200 Hindus had left for India during the last few days to visit religious sites.

"Hindus go India (from here) throughout the year, visit their sacred sites, and then come back," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) patron-in-chief Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has taken the country's minority legislators to task, saying "They are unaware of issues (facing our communities) at the grassroots level."

He also criticised the Sindh government for ignoring the cases in which Hindus are being kidnapped for ransom and Hindu girls are being forcefully converted in Sindh.

"Conversion in the name of marriage is not justified. Hindus don't want to migrate, but the situation forces them to move," said Vankwani.

"We only demand security. [Most of us] are businessmen, and contribute a lot to the country's economy. However, a family is torn apart when their girl is kidnapped and then [forcefully] converted," said another PHC member. (ANI)