KARACHI: A high-powered committee of the Sindh government, comprising three provincial ministers and senior government officers on Saturday night accepted all the demands of the Hindus after a prolonged meeting with a nominated committee by the organizers of a demonstration, who came from different areas of Sindh for a staging a protest march from Karachi Press Club to Chief Minister’s House and a sit-in at a CM House.
The written agreement, signed by Sindh Ministers Dr. Sikandare Mandhro, Mukesh Mumar Chawla and Giyanchand Israni, Commissioner of Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, DIG of Police, Karachi (South) Abdul Khaliq Shaikh, SSP South Faisal Bashir Memon and Deputy Commission of South Jamal Muzafa Qazi. From the protestants’ side the agreement document was signed by Chela Ram, Suresh Kumar, Karamat Ali, Krishan Sharma and Zulfiqar Shah.
On Saturday evening, thousands of Hindu protesters had arrived at Karachi Press Club from different parts of Sindh including Umerkot, Sanghar, Thando Allahyar, Badin and Hyderabad districts to protest against non-arrest of killers of two Hindu trader brothers in Umerkot, forced conversion of Hindus, increased incidents of kidnapping for ransom of Hindus in Sindh and other crimes against non-Muslims.
The content of the agreement was read out the Committee member Karamat Ali to the thousand of protesters. The other members of the nominated committee, Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui and DIG Abdul Khaliq Shaikh also addressed to the participants of the protest outside Karachi Press Club and reasserted the government’s resolve to fulfill the agreement in a letter and spirit.
The government side regretted that the culprits have not been apprehended so far. They committed to redouble efforts to identify and arrest the perpetrators within the shortest possible time.
Two Hindu brothers, Heera Lal Malhi and Ashok Kumar were gunned down in Umerkot on 31st July, 2014 at 9:30 in night. Umerkot city was closed down for two consecutive days in protest and the government had assured to arrest the culprits, but no progress was made.
On the demand from the family, the government had also initiated an investigation via DIG of Hyderabad Sanaullah Abbasi, but it is still not made public. The government agreed that Sanaullah Abbasi report will be shared with the family and the members of committee by Monday. If the report is not found to be satisfactory a judicial inquiry will be initiated. Alternatively, a fresh inquiry to be conducted by a senior officer(s) of the family’s choice.
The government agreed to pay adequate compensation to the victims’ families with two weeks. As there was a demand from Hindu community to remove SSP of Umerkot because of his non-cooperative attitude, the government, as a result of the agreement, assured to send the SSP on leave for an independent investigation of the case.
There was a demand from the Hindu community that a Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) should be set up at Umerkot with adequate representations from the Hindu community in it. The government also agreed that the process of setting up a CPLC branch at Umerkot to be initiated forthwith.
The agitating Hindus were also demanding a high court head institution to investigate the rising attacks on the local Hindu community population and devise a proper strategy for the protection of the community. Moreover, they were also demanding that there is an urgent need to investigate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Thar and address the social, economic and political root-causes of the issue in order the bridge the growing discontent in the region.
They were demanding both the federal and the Sindh governments to take every measure to implement the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in favour of minorities. The ruling, carrying powerful provisions for the protection of the non-Muslim communities in the country, lays down a set of clear and binding directions for its implementation.
Under the agreement, the Sindh government agreed to form a joint committee for implementation of the remaining demands and suggestions. A meeting for this purpose would be held on Monday.
The government also assured, in writing, that no punitive measure would be taken against the protesters and organizers for staging a demonstration in Karachi.
After the agreement in wee hours, the thousands of protesters went back to their areas.
