ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony on Thursday recommended the Sindh government hold a judicial inquiry into the burning of a Hindu temple by a frenzied mob in the Larkana District.
The standing committee, chaired by MNA Hafiz Abdul Kareem, was in unison to condemn the incident that they believed sent the entire minority community into shock and raised serious questions over the security of minorities in the country. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) lawmaker Ali Mohammad Khan pointed out that a simple condemnation would not serve any purpose and a judicial inquiry should be held on this grave issue.
Accepting the demand of PTI MNA, the committee chairman recommended for the judicial inquiry and observed that the places of worship of all the religions are sacred. Minority MNA of the committee Lal Chand Malhi said that grave injustice has been done with the community by burning their temple over alleged blasphemy by someone. “If any person of the minority carries out such a heinous crime then the law should determine and take its course rather than targeting whole the community,” he noted.
Malhi said that at a time when members of the minority community are migrating to the neighbouring country and forced conversion of religion is occurring, such incidents would further aggravate the situation. MQM’s MNA Kishwar Zehra termed as inhuman targeting of the minority community and their sacred places. Additional Secretary of the ministry Sikandar Ismaeel told the committee that the federal minister had also taken notice of this incident and he strongly condemned it when he was the chief guest at a ceremony to celebrate the holy festival of the Hindu community.