Pakistan rights report highlights problems of Hindus, Sikhs
April 15th, 2011 - 12:25 pm ICT by IANS
Islamabad, April 15 (IANS) Stating that about 25 percent of Sikhs in Orakzai Agency were forced to leave their homes and 27 Hindu families sought asylum in India due to security threats, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called 2010 a particularly bad year for minorities.
The report released Thursday said that about 25 percent of the 102 Sikh families in Orakzai Agency had to leave after Taliban asked them to pay Jaziya or leave the area. The Sikhs could return only after a major military operation.
It also said that at least 27 Hindu families had sought asylum in India due to security threats.
HRCP has said the government did not extend sympathies to the victims of faith-related killings, Dawn reported Friday.
The report “State of Human Rights in 2010″ said there were few positive developments in Pakistan with regard to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
It stated that there had been a string of faith-based attacks in which not only were minorities targeted but 418 Muslims belonging to various sects were also killed.
“All indications suggest that there are even worse times ahead.
“Extremist views grew more vociferous as voices for basic human rights and tolerance became more isolated in face of violence and intimidation,” the report said.
Criticising the police, the report stated that it was not doing enough to protect the minorities from attacks and had also been accused of harassing or being complicit in framing false charges.
HRCP chairman Mehdi Hassan was quoted as saying that most of the human rights violations were by government functionaries.
“Under such conditions, who will ensure that the laws are being implemented?”
The report said that as many as 64 people were charged under the blasphemy law last year and many of them were imprisoned.
A Muslim and two Christian men accused of blasphemy were killed in police custody, the media report said.
Mentioning the law and order situation, it said about 12,580 people were murdered and 581 kidnapped for ransom. At least 16,977 abduction cases were reported.
As many as 1,159 people, included 1,041 civilians, were killed in 67 suicide attacks.
- US drones killed 957 Pakistani civilians in 2010 - Apr 14, 2011
- 2,542 people killed in militant attacks, 900 in US drone attacks in Pak in 2010: HRCP - Apr 15, 2011
- Sikhs barred from Pakistan gurdwara - Jul 20, 2011
- US drone attacks killed over 900 people in Pakistan in 2010: Report - Apr 14, 2011
- Pakistan's two dozen Hindu families seek asylum in India - Dec 27, 2010
- Pak Human Rights Commission condemns murder of two Christian youths - Jul 21, 2010
- Judge who sentenced governor's killer flees Pakistan - Oct 25, 2011
- Sikhs in Pakistan seek compensation for terror losses - Feb 07, 2011
- 'Pak govt. failed to present Taseer's murder in right perspective' - Apr 18, 2011
- 'Zardari to issue pardon or grant clemency to blasphemy convict Pak-Christian woman' - Nov 25, 2010
- Pakistani Hindus in duress, says daily - Mar 13, 2012
- Pak minister's assassins leave Taliban-linked leaflets at murder spot - Mar 02, 2011
- Taseer's assassination branded as beginning of 'dark age' in Pak by HR activists - Jan 05, 2011
- A Pakistani law that felled a minister and a governor - Mar 03, 2011
- US Sikhs ask Obama to intervene on beheading - Feb 24, 2010
Tags: blasphemy law, christian men, complicit, extremist views, false charges, freedom of thought, hindu families, hindus, hrcp, human rights commission, human rights commission of pakistan, human rights violations, mehdi hassan, military operation, police custody, report stated that, sects, security threats, sikh families, sikhs