In an inquiry report submitted to Interior Minister Rehman Malik, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed that members of the Hindu community travelling to India were ‘visitors’ intending to return to Pakistan after making a pilgrimage to their holy sites.
However, some travel agents might be involved in pursuing certain elite members of the Hindu community by promising them asylum in India, conceded FIA Director General Muhammad Anwar Virk during a meeting chaired by the interior minister on Saturday.
“The Hindus travelling to India said they were going to visit their religious sites there and were not migrating permanently,” said the DG FIA, quoting the travellers who volunteered to give statements, adding that 117 people from the intended 250 have already left while the remaining would leave on Saturday.
However, a civil society activist expressed concern over their travel, saying that the Hindus were actually migrating to India and that the ‘pilgrimage’ was actually a cover for them leaving Pakistan. Dr Hassan Nasir, senior vice president of Awami Party Pakistan (APP) feared the families might never return.
“The reason is they no longer feel safe living in Pakistan. They are blatantly robbed of their property, their valuables, their daughters are forcibly married and converted and the government does nothing,” said Dr Nasir. He, along with other activists, was protesting over the same issue in front of the National Press Club here.
The interior minister asked the DG FIA to compile details and submit a report probing every complaint of forced conversions and marriages. The report on forced marriages will be published for public scrutiny, the minister said.
Besides directing the FIA head to probe the issue of agents ‘misguiding’ certain members of the Hindu community for seeking asylum in India, the minister also asked him to assist the committee constituted by President Asif Ali Zardari to look into complaints made by the Hindu community in Sindh.
The minister, however, rejected as speculations media reports about mass migration by the minority group to India. He said certain television channels and a section of media were spreading rumours. He directed the FIA chief to keep an eye on such elements.
“If any agency spots any case where some kind of injustice is done (to the Hindu community), it should be dealt with severely. A cell has been established in FIA whereby all victims, if any, may call to report such incidents.
The minister assured the Hindu community that their rights shall be fully protected. “We will not allow anyone to over step the Constitution of Pakistan which provides full rights to minorities for practicing their religion,” said Malik.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 12th, 2012.
COMMENTS (30)
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@Khan 101
Another Pakistan for Indian Muslims brothers?
What is then this Pakistan was made for? Was it for Chinese, Polish or Muslims from Alaska?
Indian government have to take proper action to protect Hindus in Pakistan. Pakistan also think about their sin action towards Hindus in their country. they have to learn how Indian people treating other religious people in India. INDIANS HAVE TO DO TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF WORST THINGS TOWARDS HINDUS.
14 years old Hindu girl was abducted last week. 250 Hindu families were held up at railway station for 7 hours because Pakistan Government suspected that they may seek asylum in India with whatever they can carry on back and a hand cart. Holding Hindu families for 7 hours on railway station to extract a promise to return and not seek asylum is an evil act. They deserve an apology. Could it have happened to even a single Muslim going to Mecca?
After the reports of forcible conversion of Hindu girls, I think Hindus should not live in Pakistan anymore.Pakistani govt is not capable of helping the Hindus. The intention maybe there to help, but all Pakistani people and govt are scared of the religious elements.
How low can the agents get in getting few extra dollars?
@GG: Yes, I admit I don't know as much about them as someone from there would. Also, unlike some others, I do not say that the pakistani hindus should migrate to india. They have always lived there and I can't imagine that they would want to leave their motherland. So when some of them come here and say that they want to settle down in india as they do not feel safe and welcome as a part of their society there, you wonder why. For all the problems minorities have faced in india from time to time, it would still be a case of apples and oranges when you compare the conditions of muslims in india and those of the hindus in pakistan. Yesterday, there was a protest organized by some muslim group in support of muslims in burma and bangladesh (a sizable number being illegal bangaldeshi migrants), where they vandalized mumbai's public property, beat up cops, and desecrated a war memorial. Can you imagine pakistani hindus, christians, ahmedis, or even the shias doing such a thing in pakistan?
@numbersnumbers: "Probably will come out just after the “Abbottabad OBL” report is released!!!" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The aforesaid report is buried under the ruins of the house that OBL stayed in Abbottabad.
@Mahakaalchakra: Do you working in a human rights organization in Pakistan since 1947 ???? Who give you these info about pakistani Hindus, BalTakray or Moody ???
Outmigration is a function of Pull &Push Factors. The pull factors have always been there, beckoning the enterprising, looking for better life.
The case under discussion is that of Push factors-economic, social, sectarian,political etc. which we have aggravated overtime through mis-goverance. Only those who stand to gain from the blighted system,or, are incabale of migrating, shall remain here. The die is cast!
So why cry over a phenomenon, we have knowingly created.
Hindus should feel safe in Pakistan +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The ex Punjab Governor Mr Salman Taseer was murdered by his security guard in cold blood for meeting a blasphemy law christian victim. That was not enough; Pakistani Lawyers, yes Lawyers the very guardians of Law in a society showered the murderer with rose petals.
Does wonder to the feeling of security and comfort of the Hindus in Pakistan.
@GG: "All you know is to attack Pakistan all day long with your bigoted mindset." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I fully sympathize with you! Same applies to the discovery of OBL in Pakistan who had been living there for about a decade. Clearly shows OBL's bigoted mindset.
@J T: What do you know of the Hindu community living in Pakistan? All you know is to attack Pakistan all day long with your bigoted mindset.
@Khan101:
In 1947 there were almost 22% Hindus and Sikhs in the area now Pakistan. In 2001, their population is reduced to as low as 1.75%, most of them in interior Sindh. I am not sure if their percentage would ever increase. Muslims percentage in India on the other hand has increased more than any other community in India comparing their percentage in 1947 and 2010.
Hindus of Pakistan are the original son-of-soil, living there before the advent of Islam. They never wanted partition of India in 1946 unlike their counterparts Muslims who lived in UP, Bihar, Punjab or MP in mainland India but not more than 10% of them migrated to Pakistan in 1947.
Whatever happened to those 20% population: Non-Muslims are given very limited choices in Pakistan; either run for the safety of family(migrate from Pakistan) or get forcibly converted to Islam, especially young females.
@Khan101: What do you know about Assam? Rather than using your bigoted and fanatically religious ummah-hood to form opinions, try to read up stuff before forming them. And finally, get out of the victimhood syndrome which is remarkably endemic to your particular religious persuasion.
@It Is (still) Economy Stupid: "Pakistan needs P Chidambram. India as Minister of Interior to improve law and order" Ya we need him coz we are still not on the top of the list of the countries having black money in swiss accounts. Ok gujrat was long ago , what happened in asssm recently? is that what u call improved law & order?
The problem with few Pakistanis in the country are that they jump into a conclusion before investigating any matter and make their own opinion depending on individual vision, knowledge and lack of complete information.
As far as I am concerned I don't believe that Hindu Community is migrating and are seeking asylum in India.
Indian government as yet has not confirmed officially that Hindu Community having Pakistani Passports have been provided asylum in India on so and so grounds.
@Khan101: "We never kill 5000 hindus at once" we kill five a week? Hindus arriving in India are saying that they were forced to say that they were on pilgrimage. Pakistan law and order is so bad that even the kidnapped Punjab Governor Taseer son's a member of PPP elite has not been recovered. How can Joe Average Pakistani feel safe? Pakistan is not getting inflow of investment due to poor law and order. No one is willing to say that Buck stops at my desk and I am responsible for poor law and order. Every one thinks I just work here. As soon as my tenure is up I am off to whatever country I came from or will go in exile. Pakistan needs P Chidambram. India as Minister of Interior to improve law and order.
@Observer: Having yesterdays episode in Mumbai, you should not talk about the rights or minority...2ndly people sitting in glass houses should not throw stones at others...
@Shahid: "Pakistan’s emphatic efforts to dissuade Hindus from migration is not due to any sympathy with the poor fellows, but it is afraid that if muslims would compelld to run Pakistan, the resultant overpopulation will prove to be the deathblow for already poor economy of Pakistan"
What if we create another islamic country within india for our indian muslims brothers???
@Observer: We never kill 5000 hindos at once as you did in Gujrat and as what r u doing in assam , kashmir etc. ------Shame
Pakistan's emphatic efforts to dissuade Hindus from migration is not due to any sympathy with the poor fellows, but it is afraid that if muslims would compelld to run Pakistan, the resultant overpopulation will prove to be the deathblow for already poor economy of Pakistan.
@Observer First give rights to the minorities in India and then talk about rights in Pakistan.... 1 in 4 malnourished child in in the World is from India... First take care of them and provide them food...
"“We will not allow anyone to over step the Constitution of Pakistan which provides full rights to minorities for practicing their religion,” said Malik." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ So the blasphemy law will be repealed and the non muslims can become Pakistani Presidents? Mr Malik pls respond.
when u hate hindoos,ostracize them in school books and on the media, persecute them with the government abetting all what do u expect? BTW arent pakistanis leaving for the west i search of a better life? dont look for conspiracies. look at what u have made pakistan into --a theocracy. was that what pakistan was created for? all the clerics who are now champions in pakistan were the very ones who opposed the creation of pakistan--ironic isnt it- do u really believe that if there is plebiscite in kashmir that they would really vote for pakistan? certainly not-why should they climb aboard a sinking ship-- time to think!
These HIndus and Sikhs have no future in Pakistan. Their lives, property and their women will never be safe in Pakistan. They or their ancestors did not ask for the Partition. it is the duty of the Indian government to grant all Hindus and Sikhs blanket amnesty if they want to leave for India.
hindu and muslim both are the citizien of pakistan but why the nationalist of both country not understand the state is the mother of all not only muslims and hindus.why? we are condemned these forcely migration due to unsecurity of hidus familes.
developed nuclear weapons in the name of protecting the people and the land from being invaded by India,now the people themselves are running away, including Muslims, what is the use of spending billions on nuclear weapons when the best and brightest are running way from homeland to save their life. In future,all missiles will only be used to protect the radicalized mullahs and not innocent and peace living civilians,coz there will be no innocent civilians to be found.
Agents are not Hindus.
"The report on forced marriages will be published for public scrutiny, the minister said" Probably will come out just after the "Abbottabad OBL" report is released!!!