Pakistan’s Hindu Community members, along with people from other faiths, have been staging a protest since September 1, 2023, over the abduction of some members of the minority community by the bandits in riverine areas of the southern Sindh province called Kashmore on September 4, 2023.
Dr Chand Mahar, the senior vice president of the Pakistan People’s Party minority wing in Sindh and one of the individuals leading the protests, said that the demonstration was carried out and staged at Dera More, an area close to the Sindh-Punjab Border, reported by Pakistan’s leading newspaper, the Dawn.
Details of People Abducted
Three members of the Hindu Community identified as Mukhi Jagdish Kumar. Sagar Kumar and Jaideep Kumar have been in the captivity of the dacoits operating in the riverine areas after they were recently intercepted by them, Mahar said. He also added that a Muslim doctor had also been in the captivity of the dacoits. His name is Munij Naiji, and is a captive for 40 days.
The bandits have also released video footage that depicts Sagar Kumar, one of the captives is being tortured and assaulted by the kidnappers.
Mukhi was a 72-year-old businessman, and Jaideep was nine years old, Mahar said, adding that they were kidnapped from Kashmore. Sagar was also abducted from Kashmore city, while Munij Naiji was kidnapped in Guddu around 40 days back, he said.
Demands of Protestors
On September 3, 2023, the protests over their abduction, as well as increasing incidents of robberies in Sindh, were also held in several other cities in the province, and the relatives of the abducted victims are demanding their early and safe recovery.
The protesters include people from different faiths and religions and are demanding an operation by the Pakistan Army and Rangers against the kidnappers and bandits. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amjad Sheikh, had assured the protestors that the hostages would be released soon.
Mahar estimated that around 40 people were kidnapped by the riverine bandits during the last few months. Some of them were released after payment of the ransom.
Reasons for the Kidnappings
“We are taken as easy prey for the dacoits as far as the payment of ransom is concerned. Since most of them were members of the Hindu Community, ran businesses, were merchants by profession and were involved in commerce, they were kidnapped by the dacoits.
Dr Lal Chand Ukrani, the president of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) minority wing in Sindh, voiced similar sentiments and said, “We Hindus are easy targets,” he said. “Muslims are also kidnapped, but the Hindus are easy targets of ransom,” he added.
He said that he raised the matter with former chief minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and had been in talks with him over the issue before the end of his tenure because the law-and-order situation in Sindh, especially in upper Sindh, is very bad with Kashmore being more particular.
On September 3, 2023, the caretaker home minister Haris Nawaz told reporters in Thatta that a plan had been finalised for launching an operation against the bandits and dacoits in the riverine areas like Jacobabad and Shikarpur and the next phase of the operation will be more result oriented.
Law and Order Situation (Sindh)
Kidnapping for ransom, highway robberies, shop looting, motorcycle stealing and house robberies in Kandhkot have spread panic and fear among the Hindu Community, which have been living there for several decades. It has become negligible to carry out trading and other activities after the rising lawlessness, said Jitesh Kumar, a local resident and businessperson in Kashmore.
The migration of Hindu families from Kashmore is due to the failure of the Sindh Police to maintain law and order. Hindu families have started migrating to other provinces and India because of the forced kidnappings and forced conversion of religion.
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