Does Justice Exist for Pakistan’s Hindus?
As detailed in HAF’s latest Human Rights Report, Hindus in Pakistan have faced “discrimination and widespread violence,” and there has been an “abject failure of government authorities and law enforcement to protect them,” leading to an estimated amount of 350,000 Hindus having migrated from Pakistan’s Sindh province to India in recent years. Now, one case in Pakistan appears to have captured world media attention, as there have been stories in the New York Times and the BBC about the alleged forced abduction, marriage, and conversion of 19 year old Rinkle Kumari.
The case remains unresolved, as Pakistan’s Supreme Court has put Rinkle and another girl in the same situation into seclusion for 3 weeks at a women’s shelter so that they can make up their minds “without any pressure” as to whether they want to go back to their parents or stay with their supposed husbands. This appears to be a complete punt by the court, with the hope that the girls will resolve the problem for them, instead of doing the right thing and getting them back to their families. The concept of justice seems to be lacking in the whole system, and it appears to be about saving face more than anything else now at this point. And all the while, the Hindus that live in Pakistan suffer an increasing amount of targeted violence and discrimination.
You can find a petition here aimed at urging U.S. government officials to put pressure on Pakistan to ensure justice for Pakistan’s Hindus.