Murder of Hindus in Pakistan condemned

The shooting of three Hindu men in Pakistan’s Sindh province last week has triggered condemnation from political leaders and leading civil society voices across the country. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) joins calls for a “thorough and fair investigation” into this crime.

The incident occurred on 8 November, when the men were shot by unidentified gunmen in Shikarpur, Sindh. A fourth victim is still in hospital. The attack came in the midst of a dispute between the Hindu community and a Muslim tribe and took place a short time before mediation attempts were due to begin.

Pakistan’s President and Prime Minister have condemned the murders, as have a number of prominent provincial politicians from Sindh, making assurances that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said that the incident “demonstrates that perpetrators believe they can get away with the murder simply because the victims are non-Muslim”, while the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has underlined “the fundamental responsibility of the State to ensure safety and protection of all its citizens irrespective of religion, class, sex, caste or creed”.

The incident took place in the same week that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlighted the “especially negative” depiction of Hindus in Pakistani schools in a new study on religious discrimination in the Pakistani education system.

CSW’s South Asia Team Leader, David Griffiths, said, “We too condemn this senseless act of vigilante violence and send our deepest condolences to the victims’ community. We add our voice to calls for a thorough and fair investigation into this crime. It is imperative that the Pakistani authorities be seen to demonstrate that those who commit crimes against religious minorities are brought to justice in the same way as any other, and that no one is above the law.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

Notes to Editors:

1. For further background, see CSW’s briefing, Pakistan: Religious freedom in the shadow of extremism‘ (June 2011).

2. For the above-mentioned report on the education system, see, “Connecting the Dots: Education and Religious Discrimination in Pakistan.” CSW is not responsible for the content of this report.