Chacha Gokal Das, A 90 year-old senior living in the Sindh region of Pakistan was severely beaten on Friday by police officials for eating rice outside his home at 6.30 pm, which was 40 minutes before Muslims were supposed to break their fast (known as Iftar) during Ramadan. Ramadan is a major Muslim religious celebration […]
Minorities in Pakistan Fear More Attacks During Ramadan: 2 Hindus Killed in Wine Shop by Extremists
Two men from Pakistan’s minority Hindu community are confirmed dead after extremists opened fire at a Government-licensed liquor shop in this Pakistani port city of Karachi. Three minorities, including 2 Hindus, were at the ‘Super Wine shop’ in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area in Karachi when the gunmen opened fire, killing them instantly. The deadly attack took place a day before the holy religious celebration […]
Abduction, Rape, Conversion & Forced Marriage: The Existential Challenges for Pakistan’s Minorities
As a typical editor and news buff, I was chatting with some of my contacts and sources via Whatsapp last winter to discuss a certain hash tag (#SaveKajalBheel) that was trending on Twitter in India. While getting the inside scoop, I was fortunate enough to get into contact with some truly inspirational human rights activists […]
The Plight of Minority Groups and Women Living in Pakistan
National Hindu Students’ Forum UK (NHSF) and partners are launching the Human Boundaries campaign to raise awareness of the Human and Civil Rights abuses which are faced by minority groups living in Pakistan. We are also looking to petition the British, Pakistani and Indian government, as well as the United Nations, to see if we […]
HAF Letter to Pakistan Embassy Asks for Restoration of Demolished Temple
(CHAKRA) In the wake of Pakistan’s recent election to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the international body tasked with the “promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe,” a century-old Hindu temple was destroyed in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) formally wrote to the Pakistani […]
Persecution of Hindu, Christian & Other Minority Women in Pakistan Highlighted at Capitol Hill
In light of the recent tragic cases of Rimsha Masih, a fourteen year-old disabled Christian girl imprisoned under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, and Rinkle Kumari, a nineteen year-old Hindu girl kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) hosted a Capitol Hill Briefing last week to highlight the persecution of minority women in […]
Human Rights Report Released Amidst Worsening Plight of Minorities In Pakistan
(CHAKRA) HAF (Hindu American Foundation) released its eighth annual Hindu human rights report today amidst increased concern over the worsening plight of Hindus in Pakistan. The report, Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights, 2011, documents human rights violations against Hindus in Pakistan as well as seven other countries and regions […]
Child Kidnapped by Extremists in Sindh Pakistan
Sindh, Pakistan (CHAKRA) – A three-year-old Hindu girl was kidnapped in the province of Sindh in Pakistan. The Hindu community being a minority community in the country was distraught and has started a protest to raise awareness of such repeated kidnappings. They also requested the authorities immediately send out police to search for the child. […]
87-year-old Hindu Temple Facing Demolition in Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan (CHAKRA) —The minority Hindu community in Pakistan has protested against the demolition of a pre-partition 87-year-old Hindu temple, in the town of Rawalpindi, but the destruction has been set to take place. The temple was being used by Hindus and Sikhs to perform the last rituals of close ones, according to Jagmohan Kumar, […]
Hindu Family of 7 Killed in Pakistan
Balochistan, Pakistan (CHAKRA) – Seven members of a Hindu family were killed while being caught amid a gun battle between two rival muslim tribes in Pakistan’s province of Balochistan. Media reports state that family members including a couple and their five children died in the sub-division of Suhbatpur in Jaffarabad district on Tuesday. Ten members […]