JI Condemns the Brutal Murder of Three Hindu Brothers in Shikarpur Islamabad, Nov 11, 2011: The President of the Jinnah Institute and Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sherry Rehman, has joined voice with all human rights organizations in condemning the murder of three Hindu brothers in the Shikarpur district on Wednesday, 9th November 2011. Sherry Rehman also moved an Adjournment Motion in the National Assembly yesterday against this heinous act.
According to news reports, the three brothers identified as Dr. Ajeet Kumar, Dr. Naresh Kumar and Dr. Ashok Kumar were gunned down due to an altercation with the Muslim Baban Khan Bhayo tribe over a dancing girl, just meters away from the local police station. The victims had been requesting police protection after earlier threats were made to their lives but this was blatantly disregarded and the brothers were sprayed with bullets by men on a motorcycle in their village.
The family members of the victims have expressed dissatisfaction over the registered FIR against the Bhayo clansman believing it to be largely fabricated, leading to the provision of some benefit of doubt for the accused despite the heinous nature of the crime. Sherry Rehman said that “This kind of open bias on the part of a state institution towards a minorities group not only amounts to violation of constitutional rights of minorities, it also creates mistrust over the state’s role as guarantor of a citizen’s protection.” The Shikarpur incident calls for a serious investigation into the role of local police officials who ignored the pleas of protection from the victims. The suspension of the SHO in Chak police station remains a disproportionately weak response to the abominable nature of this crime.
Sherry Rehman stated that the gruesome killings were “a reflection of the fact that we as a majority, are still silent in condoning the discrimination and rampant persecution of citizens based on their religious background. The government has verbally condemned the murders but it remains an indisputable fact that religious minorities will not feel safe and free in an increasingly hostile and predatory environment for non-Muslims until the deep-rooted issues surrounding faith-based violence begin to be addressed.”
Sherry Rehman pointed out that Pakistan needs a major overhaul in its social and legislative framework to pave the way for a rights-driven approach towards issues related to minorities and the disadvantaged. The idea that crimes against religious minorities can easily escape accountability must be challenged. To effectively avoid further abuse and to address the perpetual vulnerability and fear amongst religious communities, greater transformative measures need to be taken on an immediate basis.
To start with, any hate crime which results from the discrimination on the basis of any individual’s faith or background should be treated as a case of aggravated assault, and penalised as such. Federal and provincial funding to areas where educational and health programs encourage segregation based on religious affiliation should be blocked. A Special Ombudsman on the Rights of Minorities should be put in place. The National Commission on Minorities as a statutory body, must be revived and reconstituted with terms of reference that make regular meetings, and which is comprised largely of minority and vulnerable groups. Further, the supra-legal authority exercised by jirgas should give way to any dispute between parties being resolved within the ambit of the country’s legal system.
Sherry Rehman has added that Pakistan was envisioned by its founders as an equal-rights state with sufficient guarantees to all groups to practice their faith under state’s protection. “Any structure that allows individuals and groups to violate laws with impunity needs critical state interventions on an immediate basis.”
News coverage: Dawn, The Nation, The News, Daily Times, Asian News International, New Kerala, Zee News India
