KARACHI:
Back from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit in Makkah, President Asif Ali Zardari stopped over in Karachi and directed Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah to make an amendment to the constitution against forced conversion of minorities in Sindh.
At a meeting at Bilawal House on Thursday, Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Faryal Talpur and Chief Minister Shah briefed the president about the concern of Hindu community following reports of their mass migration to India.
“The reports of mass migration of Hindus to India are merely speculative, but people of the Hindu community are insisting that a law is made against forced conversions,” sources quoted the chief minister as saying.
Sources said the President directed his sister, Faryal Talpur, and Shah to visit Jacobabad and meet representatives of the Hindu community before formulating a law on forced conversions.
The president also directed Shah to form a committee under the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ayaz Soomro to prepare a draft in order to make an amendment to the constitution. Elected representatives and leaders of the Hindu panchayat would be members of the committee.
“If any case of conversion is reported without the consent of a girl and her parents, the SHOs would frame charges of kidnapping against the people involved,” a Sindh cabinet member familiar with the development said.
Interestingly, when two PPP minority MPAs – Saleem Khurshid Khokhar and Pitanber Sewani – moved a resolution against forced conversions in Sindh a few months ago, demanding legislation on the issue, the only opposition came from senior lawmakers of the ruling PPP.
The lawmakers had argued that minorities in Pakistan already enjoy protection under Article 20 of the Constitution and that the law already exists; therefore there is no need for new legislation.
Meanwhile, a petition filed by the Hindu Council in Sindh High Court seeking enactment of a law against forced conversions was also dismissed on the same ground.
Sceptical
Babu Mahesh Lal, Hindu Panchayat Jacobabad president, is not convinced.
“If the Constitution gives us full projection, then why is the state not protecting us when minor girls are kidnapped and kept in confinement without a marriage contract?” he said.
“Why is the marriage of a 12-year-old girl solemnized after she is kidnapped?” he added. Sham Kumar, a writer and an activist of Hindu community, asked why Hindu girls are not converting at seminaries, but only at marriage ceremonies.
“Why only Hindu girls are embracing Islam? Why not our boys?” he said, adding that these are only cases of forced conversion.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2012.
COMMENTS (29)
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We appreciate that PPP's leadership has acknowleged the issue of forced conversion to Islam. It is hoped that present PPP's government would soon table a bill in the assembly to address this issue of minorities across the country.
@Samina Khan: The most intelligent thing to say right now is that "You are intellectually handicapped".
@anand singh: @Saleem:
(Please read Surah al Baqara, ayat 256).
You Hazraat are one hundred percent right. A law is good only if it is interpreted correctly, applied and gives the desired effect for which it was legislated. Otherwise, it remains in suspended animation.
With the onslaught of one-eyed mullas, PPP, PMLN and the Taliban, the law shrinks into the background and loses potential to achieve the desired purpose.
What we require is a tough, educated, well-equipped and trained police force. The will to educate the one-eyed mullas in seminars and fora and unmasking the culprits. Speedy judgments because "justice delayed is justice denied."
Also, remember the golden rule, "once a paindoo, always a paindoo." Salams
India's Bangalore is also in trouble due to the problem in the North East. After killing of Muslims and Sikhs in India, Hindus are fuelling the hatred between North Eastern people and Muslims.
After killing, raping and torturing innocent Muslims in Kashmir and rest of India, Hindus have turned their attention towards Muslims in the North East.
Now like a typical defeatist group, Indian media have started blaming Pakistan for the entire crisis. Sending of sms's and mms's is being blocked and websites will be monitored/blocked. There goes India's freedom of speech. In fact, there is no freedom of speech in India. That's why Indians spread their poison on websites based in Pakistan.
@Adeel Syed: why? what happened to free speech that the poster Samina was so worried about? Or aren't you people willing to read anything different from your myopic points of view????
@manas: Nothing is going to change. I am glad Zaradari has acknowledged That forced conversions are going on in Pakistan. United nations has to get involved to save minorities.
@Tariq: No laws can protect Hindus, Chtistians, Shias, Ahmadis etc. When Hindus seek help from courts, they are beaten right in front of the judges.
@Samina Khan: Ms. Samina you have not understood the problem of North east & are commenting w/o knowing the entire issue. The fight in North east is not of hindu muslim but of ethnic bodos & illegal bangladeshi migrants. over 50000 muslims in mumbai had on last sunday killed 2 north east people, vandalised public property. If u speak of committing genocide of muslims in gujrat & elsewhere kindly note that those riots started after muslims torched an entire bogey of train carrying 60 hindus who were simply singing bhajans. regd free speech issue, is it a sin to take preventive action then allowing rumours to happen
Pakistanis talking of muslims in India and elsewhere is good for India and others. Every time a Pakistani talks like this, it makes the Shias, Ahmedis, Christians, and others who are persecuted question themselves as to how much they can trust the words of Pakistanis when they try to pacify them. After all these targeted groups have now been declared non muslims and they all know and feel that they are also in the same situation as the Hindus. Over half population in Pakistan consider Shias as non-muslims.
This ET news clearly says "make an amendment to the constitution against forced conversion of minorities in Sindh". So, even today, Forced conversions are constitutionally protected. Additionally, when the young girls are brought to their new muslim homes, the boy's family and the neighborhood allows this. A recent talk show in a Pakistani channel mentioned that Pakistan tops the world in the incidences of child rape, not just pornography. It is a totally different culture there in Pakistan. Has anyone seen the 2006 movie "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"? Wonder where they got the plot for the movie.
Is it a coincidence or advise from other OIC countries that made Zardari ask for legislation against forced conversion immediately after his return from OIC? Pakistanis have no idea what others even muslim countries think of the culture and practices in Pakistan.
Lol Indians arguing amongst each other on a Pakistani newspaper..
I request that you guys take this discussion to some Indian site. Thank you.
@Samina Khan You have not cared to know any truth about violence in india in north east. Fact No 1. Bangaladeshi immigarants(mostly muslims) are immigrating to Indian north east and displacing, taking away our land, raping BODO tribals. They have been doing it for last 3o years Fact No 2. Muslim in India are so naive that they are giving it a communal color. There has been morphed/fake videos of myanmar killing (which actually was thailand flood videos) which they spread in mumbai and other parts of india (among muslim community). They rioted in mumbai, molested women police men, beat police men, burnt vehicles and brought down a shaheed park,statues. For these muslims, they have more love for bangladeshi immigrants than their own indian north easterners community who are on receiving side Fact No 3; Muslim community in hyderabad, bangalore and other city of india has planned to target these north east people( tribals, hindu). So Now you tell me is it an indian problem? or has it more to do with the mentality of muslims around the world (for whom religion comes first)
@Samina Khan: Diligent analysis of the facts should be done before making a comment.. The problem in NE is between local tribes (read:Assamese) and Bangladesh immigrants, who happened to be Muslims.
In support of those Bangladesh immigrants, the fundamentalist went ran sacked while protesting in Mumbai, because they are Muslims.
And, the same fundamentalists threatening the Assamese in other regions of the country. There are reports sending threatening SMSs and physical assault in Bangalore which lead to the mass exodus of Assamese from Bangalore. Around 11,000 people were left Bangalore in past 3 days..
In order to control the situation, the Govt has banned mass SMSs which used to threaten Assamese and order to nab the culprits.
No country will bear its citizen supporting other nationals. But it is happening in India under the garb of religion..
I'd like to know what would be your thought if it happens in your country??
@Samina Khan:
Indians are justified in sending back the illegal Bangladeshi migrants to Bangladesh. Congress Party over the decades ignored the influx of Bangladeshi in Assam which have porous borders. they ca not have the voting rights Indians can not afford the burden of illegal migrants on their resources whether they are Muslims or Hindus. Muslims in India( in Mumbai/ Bangalore) have dared to threaten North eastern population to assassinate them and if so they will have to face the music . It seems Muslims have not learnt a lesson from Gujarat. India can not tolerate unlawful activities. Bulk SMS s only have been Banned for 15 days to stop the rumor. Pakistan does not stand anywhere near India when secularism /pluralism is concerned and you too know it well if you have the grey matter in brain..
When hindus themselves are turning into muslims happily then why the Govt is having problem with it.
To the Pakistani Hindus: Please don't think you are safe in India. The Muslims in India may threaten you just as they threaten the North Eastern people in other parts of India. You will be safe only when a strong leader like Narendra Modi becomes a PM. The Islamic National Congress will not be able to protect you but will witch hunt you.
It is Zardari's time pass. He is bored of Islamabad. So on the way back from Saudi Arabia he had a brief halt at Karachi. Pakistan is a horror hall and circus at the same time. Landmark achievement indeed!
@Saleem: We are really thankless people. When there is now law we criticize government to become instrumental and make legislation. When it does we come up with another lame excuse to criticize it. Please try to understand this is a process of evolution. If incumbent government is reluctant to implement the law, another will come to take stand on it. But there is dire need for basic requirement to be implanted, which is legislation that can pave the way to the path of success.
Why Sindh? Why not on a national level? You want the victims to be dragged to Punajb or FATA for forced conversion and then bring Hindu girls back to Sindh. No crime committed inside Sindh.
@Samina Khan: Muslim genocide is world wide phenomenon.Look at the country like syria,pakistan,afganistan,taliban,iraq,yemen,turkey.Myanmar,china,america,israel was already indulge.so what is wrong if india joining the club.
I think Zardari should do something concrete about the hate & distorted history that is being taught in schools & madrasas in Pakistan. If children does not read about pre-islamic history of the subcontinent & how Islam came in to the subcontinent, it is but natural that they will see & treat Hindus & other minorities as some kind of enemy.
Pakistan might be the only country where invaders are decorated & ancestors are prosecuted.
A law is only as good as its enforcement.
How is it proposed to be enforced ?
Do something practical. Don't just legislate. Implement the already existing legislation. There is complete lawlessness so making new laws is nonsense. Only zardari can come up with such a useless suggestion.
Thank you Zarinder Kumar Sharma
Just want to know will these extremist groups let government to make the law on it?
Good move by zardari but why only in sindh why not in all pakistan.He shoul think about upcoming election .Hindus is now sidelining with ppp and may move to other party.