Condemnation: Murder of Hindu doctors denounced

Protection of citizens’ lives demanded without discrimination.

ISLAMABAD:

Human rights organisations and a think tank have expressed their outrage at the killings of three Hindu brothers in Sindh.

In separate statements, Insani Huqooq Ittehad (IHI), Women’s Action Forum (WAF) and Jinnah Institute condemned the target killing of three Hindu brothers and injuring of another in Shikarpur on November 7, when the rest of the country was celebrating Eidul Azha.

“Whatever the conflicting accounts and the eventual facts that may come to light, it is the fundamental duty of the state to protect the lives of its citizens, irrespective of religion, ethnicity and gender,” said IHI.

Extrajudicial killings, vigilante groups, jirgas and panchayats are making a mockery of access to justice for vulnerable and threatened citizens, especially religious minorities and women, it added.

“We are now seeing the bitter fruits of the “Islamisation” seeds sown by Gen Ziaul Haq, with none of his so-called “progressive” successors having the courage or the will to undo any of his anti-minority and anti-women legislations,” it lamented.

WAF said that criminals are often released by the courts on the pretext of poor investigations, while this “benefit of the doubt” is usually not applied in the case of religious minorities.

Meanwhile former federal minister Sherry Rehman has moved an adjournment motion in the National Assembly against the heinous act.

“Such open bias towards minorities not only amounts to a violation of their constitutional rights, but also creates mistrust over the state’s role as the guarantor of citizens’ protection,” said Rehman.

She said that the suspension of the SHO was a weak response to the nature of this crime.

She demanded the revival of the National Commission on Minorities and appointment of a special ombudsman on minorities’ rights to ensure their protection.

According to news reports, the three brothers, Dr Ajeet Kumar, Dr Naresh Kumar and Dr Ashok Kumar, were gunned down following an altercation with Baban Khan Bhayo tribe members over a dancing girl.

The victims had been requesting police protection after threats were made to their lives earlier, but their appeals were blatantly disregarded and the brothers were sprayed with bullets in their village.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2011.