Hindu community warns of major protest

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), led by its Patron-in-Chief Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, continued its protest for the third consecutive day on Saturday against recent controversial remarks by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

A large number of people belonging to different communities and professions gathered at Teen Talwar in Clifton to express solidarity with the Hindu demonstrators. Vankwani's unexpected appearance at the venue energised the crowd, which started chanting "Pakistan Zindabad".

PHC office-bearers, including its President Parshotam Ramani, Chief Coordinator Krishna Sagar, Vikram Rathi, Paman Lal, and Guddu Shani, were also in attendance.

Addressing the participants, Vankwani thanked participants for demonstrating patriotism and maintaining peace during their protest. He condemned Singh's remarks regarding Sindh, terming them historically inaccurate, misleading, and provocative.

Vankwani stated that Sindh has preserved a distinct cultural, geographical, and political identity for centuries, and has never formally been part of any ancient Hindu kingdom. He described claims by certain Indian political leaders suggesting Sindh's "return" to India as "inflammatory, irresponsible, and ignorant of history".

Vankwani announced that the PHC's three-day ultimatum to Singh was ending on Saturday. Should the Indian minister fail to retract his statement, the PHC would stage a major protest at the Sho Mandir in Clifton on Sunday — an event expected to become one of Karachi's largest demonstrations. The council is also expected to reveal its future strategy at the gathering.