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Pakistani Hindus flee to India claiming persecution
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Nawaz asks Hindus not to leave Pakistan
PML-N chief says Pakistan belongs to the minorities as much as it belongs to the Muslims.
PML-N chief says Pakistan belongs to the minorities as much as it belongs to the Muslims. PHOTO: SANA/FILE
KARACHI: Appealing to the Hindu community members not to leave the country, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said it’s appalling how the government is ignoring the minorities in Sindh.
Speaking to the media in Karachi on Friday, Sharif said the country belongs to the minorities as much as it belongs to the Muslims.
Extending support to them, Sharif said that Pakistan is incomplete without the people belonging to other religions.
The PML-N chief is in Karachi to visit the factory where more than 200 people were killed due to a fire.
Local government
Commenting on the controversial local government ordinance for Sindh, Sharif said that having two systems for one province doesn’t make sense.
He stated that the ordinance was introduced by the two parties – Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Quami Movement - without discussing it with others.
“Issues like these should be discussed in the National Assembly and the Senate; all provinces across Pakistan should have a uniform system,” Sharif said.
He said that steps taken without national consensus don’t last for long.
Monsoon
Expressing concern over the havoc caused by the recent heavy downpour in the province, Sharif said that the provincial government should concentrate on rehabilitating those who are affected by the rains rather than on issues like local government system.
“The people of Sindh have not completely recovered from last year’s floods and they are now facing problems because of this year’s monsoon season,” he said.
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Reader Comments (36)
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Thank you Mr Sharif!
It is always risky to take what politicians say at their face value. However, I do appreciate his courage in saying this openly – as we all know how harmful it is to say antyhing good for any non-muslims!
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nawaz rocks.
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Pakistan does not belong to minorities anymore, they are not safe here. Quaid-e-Azam has been deceived. Recommend
good statesmanship…
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If he wants to represent them, he can start by renaming his party from Pakistan Muslim League to Pakistan Secular League or just Pakistan League.
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In the age of internet, there is no place to hide. That is why these politicians are now trying to look civilized in front of the world by paying lip service …. !
Systematic persecution and decimation of the minorities and misuse of the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan has been going on since decades. The school text books preach hatred and intolerance towards the religious minorities …. have you done anything about that Mr Sharif … ?Recommend
Mr. Nawaz Sharif, why not you demand a similar trade route in Sind as Punjab enjoys all the previlege.
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Could Mr Sharif say same about Ahamedi Sect of Muslims.
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Nawaz Sharif Zindabad. Always talks sense despite his party’s right wing credentials. This shows his courage to do the right thing.
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It’s not just the Hindus, Mr. Sharif, who want to leave the country. I am sure Christians, atheists, Sikhs, Shias, Ahmedis, and other ‘minority’ groups do not particularly feel welcome in the country as it get more and more pure, and the views of the wahabi and salafi hardliners become a more prominent part of the public discourse. Even the previously moderate brelvi and sufi population is becoming more radicalized. It is hard have a sense of belonging in such a subtly, and sometimes overtly, hostile environment.
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Even Shia Muslims are not safe leave alone Hindus. Atleast Hindus can cross border and take shelter in India, but where do the Shias, Ahmedis, Christians go? No country allows them with Pakistani tag. They are some media houses and TV channels spewing venom against minorities.
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Dear Sir,
Appreciate it. If you are an Hindu in Pakistan, what would you do? Who would like to see their daughters raped and convert to Islam and never again seen?
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Does he want them to stay so that they can be killed like all the others. At the time of partition Pakistan was 12% Hindu now it is about 1% Hindu, what happened to the others?
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Nawaz is know for his links with extremists groups. PML-N law minister has attended gatherings with extremist groups who have in turn targeted minorities in our country. I still remember his brother asking TTP to spare Punjab – was he asking for a favour??
This is nothing but a political move which Nawaz Sharif cannot and will not back with any concrete measures himself or via his party.
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Mr. Sharif – the better thing to do would be to ensure safe passage for them.
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Why nobody ever answers the question asekd by Aziz – what happened to Hindus in Pakistan- why there number went down from 12% to 1% in last 65 years.
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I ask Muslims not to leave Pakistan and come to India. For Gods sake.
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@Nazeer Ahmed:
Sad situation indeed. For this situation, Jinnah, Nehru, and the elite Muslims are all responsible. Jinnah/elite Muslims for asking for a seperate country on religious lines, Nehru for agreeing to such a demand due to his greed for power.
Here is a suggestion:
Hindus/Budhidhist/Sikhs/Parsis can cross over to India.
Shias/Ahmedis to Iran.
Christians can seek asylum in Europe/USA/China.
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What a joke..
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Mr. Sharif, with this statement, you just hammered the last nail on your election coffin.
Pakistan will not vote for you. Because Pakistan actually fancies minority persecution.
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Mark my word the current scenario is nothing.we r going to witness mass exodus very soon for which we r not ready at all.Yr 2014 is very crucial from indias point of view as regime change is possible and nato forces will leave afg. .India will be the epicenter for all the clashes.Hindus r seeking asylum.But indian muslims r no less than muslim in pak.they will start crying for asylum of the shia/ahmedi in india.But this is always unacceptable for us.Ethnic clash is very much probable in coming future.bangladesi muslim is another issue.Situation looks very chaotic.Only solution..Narendra modi.
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Nawaz Sharif is true leader. He has courage to speak for rights of minorities, he also announced donations for families of fire victims. We appreciate his efforts.
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And what do he and his comrades (rana sanaullah, captain safdar) ask to the terrorists?
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How come he left for KSR? Is it because of the palace? How come he did not face the heat at home after all he was member of the majority? Talk is cheap, walk the talk is hard.
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@Aziz and @JSM, I am firmly against religious intolerance anywhere and fully empathize with the plight of minorities in Pakistan. All discrimination should be fought against with all our power. However, the Hindu population going down from 12% at the time of partition to 1% now is a completely false statistic. The larger proportion of Hindu population in Pakistan was always in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Today, an estimated 1.6% of Pakistan’s population is Hindu (mostly in Sindh). In 1975, 15.6% of Bangladesh’s population was Hindu. Therefore, with the independence of Bangladesh the majority of Pakistan’s Hindus at the time of partition became Bangladeshis. 12% in 1947 to 1% today is therefore a comparison that makes no sense. BTW, the proportion of Hindus in Bangladesh has gone from 15.6% in 1975 to 9.5% in 2010 which is a fairly drastic reduction. I don’t know if that represents difference in birth rates or greater Hindu migration over the years but it would be an interesting question.
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His son in law was present at a khatm-e-naboowat conference which passed some highly intolerant resolutions against Ahmadis including the fact that they should not be allowed to worship in public and ideally should leave the country. His law minister openly admits to confabulating with LeJ leaders who kill Shias.His borther told TTP that they should spare Punjabis because Punjab government shared TTP’s goals. He was quite silent during the Rinke Kumari case. Not a peep out of him or the other messiah from PTI at the outright miscarriage of justice in that case.
Actions speak louder than words.
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Mr Sharif have you heard the following phrase?:
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
The West looks at Pakistan as being dangerous and failed mainly because it looks at itself as a seventh century medieval state locked in stone age. You got two chances to govern and you did not remove the cancer of hatred towards hindus and other minorities. Why should we believe you now?
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How about stop supporting Anti-Shia Sipah-e-Sahaba?
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Mian Sb, No more double standards plz…..here is what your son-in-law endorsed four days back: http://tribune.com.pk/story/434302/khatme-nabuwat-conference-calls-for-restrictions-on-ahmadi-community/
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@Fed Up Indian:
Or maybe change his name from Nawaz Sharif to Mohan Sharif? How about that?
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Empty words for PR purpose now. What has Nawaz actually ever done for Pakistani Hindus?
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Sir thank you for your sentiments about minorities in Sindh. Please be more vocal and say the same for those minorities who are living in your province Punjab. Thanks.Recommend
Call back your own childern Mr. Shareef, before giving shallow advise.
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Stop asking and do something!Recommend
What is Pakistan doing to enable registration of hindu marriages? Forced conversions? Positions in govt ?
.do I need say more?
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Roshan,
2Mian Sb, No more double standards plz…..here is what your son-in-law endorsed four days
back: http://tribune.com.pk/story/434302/khatme-nabuwat-conference-calls-for-restrictions-on-ahmadi-community/”
Because of complex pokistani politics Nawaz Sharif, as a strategy,has many hawks in his party to attract right wing voters.Many get confused and take his party as rightest party which is not true.NS is a powerfull leader and nobody in his party dare to differ with him.He is an honest man and respect every pakistani irespective of religion or ethnicity.He has expressed the same views about ahmadys and even called them our brothers and sisters and assets of pakistan.Mullahs from pakistan as well as india threatend him to take his statement back otherwise face decree of infidility.He gave it a damn and nothing happened.
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