Muslims put bus on fire, 15 Hindus burnt alive in Pakistan

By Gopinath Kumar (editor-in-chief)
Monday, May 02, 2011

Quetta (Pakistan): Atleast 15 people, including women and children, were burnt alive when unidentified criminals torched a passenger bus near Sibi in Pakistan's Baluchistan province in the wee hours of today, police said. Those killed include seven children, three men belonging to the minority Hindu community who were identified as Kapil, Varsheen, and Pujamal, they said."

The incident occurred in the town of Sibi, about 160 kms from Quetta, when the bus coming from Jacobabad in Sindh province and going to Quetta had stopped at a road side restaurant for a break," Deputy Commissioner of Police Sibi, Naseer Ahmed Nasir said from Sibi. Witnesses said that four armed men, riding on two motorcycles, reached there while two of them entered the bus, sprinkled petrol and then they put it on fire. Many passengers could not flee due to severe fire, police said."The driver and the conductor of the bus fled from the scene and we are seaching for them. The frontier corps and police have cordoned off the area and are searching for the suspected criminals who set the coach on fire," Nasir said.

Police said that they were not ruling out the possibility that the driver and conductor have fled because the engine might have got fire.Police also suspects that the attack may be ethnic as dozens of non-locals were on board of the bus. Baluch seperatists have been carrying out attacks on government and security installations in the province for the last few years and have in the past targetted settlers from other provinces who reside in different parts of Baluchistan.

Nasir said that those killed in the fire included five persons of one family including three children and their grandparents."Since one door was burnt immediately there was no escape route for the passengers inside the bus. Most of the male passengers had got down to say prayers or have food," the deputy commissioner said.He said it was confirmed that the dead included three Hindus who were residents of Jacobabad who were going to Quetta for apparently some business.He said the wounded passengers were rushed to the Sibi civil hospital where they were getting treatment.

Pakistan Army Sexually Abusing Minority Women - NGO

By PHP Staff
Monday, May 02, 2011

(Photo : Pakistan Army. In its annual survey on human rights the State)

New York,  (IANS) The Pakistani army is sexually assaulting minority women and using them as sex slaves, alleges the European Organization of Pakistani Minorities (EOPM), an NGO working for the rights of minorities in Pakistan.

In a prayer-cum-demonstration held at the UN, it said the Pakistani army is taking minority women away from their families, raping them and then using them as sex slaves.

Referring to the December attacks on Christians in Lahore, the organisation alleged that attacks on minorities in Pakistan were increasing.

Using a symbolic broken chair to highlight the plight of minorities in Pakistan, more than 100 women from different faiths lit candles at the prayer to highlight the plight of minority women allegedly being raped and killed by the Pakistani Army.

Expressing concern over the plight of women of Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan, the organisers said army officials are taking them to torture camps, raping them and then using them as sex slaves.

"One such case is of that Zarina Marri who is a 23-year-old school teacher from Quetta and is being used as a sex slave by the Pakistani Army," the EOPM said in a statement.

It said international observers and the media should be allowed free access to Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan to meet families whose women members have disappeared and yet no police cases have been registered.

The organisation demanded that the UN organise a special session on the plight of Pakistani women.

According to the EOPM, religious minorities constitute much more than five percent - as claimed in Pakistani census - of Pakistan's 160 million population.

However, the census intentionally keeps minority population low to deny them greater representation, it said.

Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and other minorities are constant targets of attacks in Pakistan, it said, citing Minority Rights Group International, a watchdog organisation, which ranked Pakistan last year as, "the world's top country for major increases in threats to minorities since 2007".

Pakistan has also been listed seventh among the 10 most dangerous countries for minorities, after Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar and Congo.

Daily Inspiration from Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

By PHP Staff
Monday, May 02, 2011

 (Members of the Pakistani Hindu community celebratin Holi in Karachi, Pakistan on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010)

I am a British born guy of Pakistani and Burmese descent. I’ve been to Pakistan a few times and must say that the indigenous Hindu population should be given greater respect and prominence. The Pakistani treatment of Hindu citizens should be much improved than at current as you are an amazingly dynamic component of the country. Respect to you all.

By Farid M. Khan (United Kingdom)

Government has closed its eyes to the plight of Hindus in Pakistan

By Anuradha Dutt
Friday, April 15, 2011

(Photo: Hindus women's in Karachi City, Sindh State of Pakistan during Laxmi Puja on Diwali Festival)

New Delhi : After being carved out of the Indian sub-continent, Pakistan is just 63-year old. Its raison d’etre is to act as an Islamic counter-force to a predominantly Hindu India, which encompasses all variations of religious beliefs, including the Islamic, within a secular framework. Religious freedom is the fulcrum of our secular ideal. It is quite the opposite in Pakistan, created as the land of the pure by politicos, fundamentalists and a vengeful colonial power on its last legs. But even after the partition and the exchange of peoples between India and Pakistan, a large number of Muslims opted to stay back because India as a secular democracy seemed a safer option, while a much smaller number of Hindus chose to brave it out in the Islamic republic.

(Photo : A tourist at an old Hindu temple near Islamabad city, Pakistan)

As a result, India today has the third largest Muslim population of over 100 million, after Indonesia and Pakistan. Hindus in Pakistan are about 3.9 million. Judging by current reports of Hindus’ persecution in Pakistan, with some of their important places of worship being forcibly turned into hotels and tourist spots, and with no possibility of justice, they may well be ruing their decision to stay back in their ancestral homes. The Congress-led ruling coalition’s indifference to their plight compounds the problem. Its hostility to the Allahabad High Court judgement, which allotted two-thirds of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya to Hindu litigants and one-third to the Sunni Waqf Board, is in sharp contrast to the Pakistan authorities complicity in the seizure of Hindu shrines and pilgrimages for commercial purposes.

To cite an instance, the 700-year-old Kali Bari in Dera Ismail Khan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province is reported to have been taken over by a business group and turned into a hotel. Sources reveal that the operators pay the Government a small amount of money in exchange. Some idols have disappeared from the shrine. They point out that the historic site could attract Hindus from all over the world. This would generate more revenue. However, despite local Hindus having brought the violation to the attention of the Governor in April 2009, he failed to initiate any remedial action. One just needs to compare this with the earnest assurances given by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to an incensed group of Muslims at Jangpura, who gathered to protest against the demolition of an unauthorised mosque some weeks ago. The matter is being heard by Delhi High Court.

(Photo : The last remaining ancient Hindu temple near Rawal Lake at Islamabad City is in dire need of preservation, Pakistan)

In another shocking violation, the sacred Raam Kunday Mandir in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, is reported to have been converted into a picnic spot. It is preposterous even to imagine a heritage mosque being turned into a recreation hub in India’s capital. Not just politicos, who nurture minority vote-banks, but the supposedly secular brigade, consisting of the literati and glitterati, would go into over-drive to abort such a possibility. It is, of course, a different matter altogether when Hindus demand restoration of important pilgrimages in India, usurped by Islamic adventurers some centuries ago. The secular brigade then trashes Hindu concerns as a prime example of religious bigotry and revivalism. It has also consistently ignored seizure and desecration of temples in Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as atrocities committed against individuals. True votaries of the secular ideal would be non-partisan in their actions. Their fervent advocacy of sectarian Muslim concerns in particular — the community’s right to follow its personal law based on sharia, and retain control of usurped shrines, as symbols of the dominion of Islam — actually serves to negate the secular ideal and render it irrelevant. But they remain blind to this fact, just like an ostrich that chooses to shut out reality by hiding its head in the sand.

Examples of misuse of shrines in Pakistan abound. Araya Mandir in Abbotabad has been appropriated for running a school. Several dilapidated old temples in Eminabad in Gujranwala are being used as stables for horses, donkeys and the like. Hindu’s demand for restoring to them the Kali temple in Peshawar, which has been taken over by local traders, has been ignored by the authorities.

 (Photo : A famous Lord Hanuman temple in Chakwal (punjab state) is being used by the workers of salt mines as their office, Pakistan)

The Hanuman mandir in Chakwal has become the office of salt mines workers while the Sheeranwali Mandir in Punjab’s Bakkar town hosts a madarsa for clerics. The deplorable neglect of Jogi Tala Jhelum, sacred both for Sikhs and Hindus, and Laho Maharaj Mandir, situated on the Badshahi Masjid premises, are also sore points.

(Photo : Hindus and other Non-Muslim citizens of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are treated as separate and unequal citizens in a form of religious apartheid)

There are an estimated 360 sites, revered by Hindus, in Pakistan. Many are under the control of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, which also reportedly controls 1,35,000 acres of land that belongs to Hindu farmers. But all persuasion to hand over the pilgrimages and land to the lawful claimants has failed despite the Preamble to the Constitution of Pakistan assuring that “adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to freely profess and practise their religions and develop their cultures” and “to safeguard the legitimate interests of the minorities and backward and depressed classes”. Indian Muslims need to honestly answer whether they have got a raw deal, as professed by some, when their condition is compared to that of victimised Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan.

American whites will be minority during this decade in USA

By PHP Staff
Monday, April 11, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC  (The New York Times): America's population of white children, a majority now, will be in the minority during this decade, sooner than previously expected, according to a new report. As a result, America's future will include a far more diverse young population, and a largely white older generation.

The Census Bureau had originally forecast that 2023 would be the tipping point for the minority population under the age of 18. But rapid growth among Latinos, Asians and people of more than one race has pushed it earlier, to 2019, according to William Frey, the senior demographer at the Brookings Institution.

The single largest increase was among Hispanics, whose birthrates are far above those of non-Hispanic whites, largely because the white population is aging and proportionally has fewer women in their child-bearing years. The median age of whites is 41, compared with 27 for Hispanics, the report said.

The population of white children fell by 4.3 million, or about 10 percent, in the last decade, while the population of Hispanic and Asian children grew by 5.5 million, or about 38 percent, according to the report, which was based on 2010 Census numbers.

Though whites are still 63 percent of the population as a whole, that is down from 75.6 percent in 1990. Mr. Frey estimates that whites will slip into the minority by about 2041. The number of whites grew by just 1.2 percent in the population as a whole in the last decade, a fraction of the 43 percent growth among Latinos.

The number of African-American children also fell, down by 2 percent. Over all, minorities now make up 46.5 percent of the under-18 population. Whites are now the minority of child populations in 10 states, double the number from the previous decade, according to the report, and in 35 cities, including Atlanta, Phoenix and Orlando, Fla. Vermont had the largest drop in its child population of any state.

Hindu community holds special prayers for Pakistan cricket team

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Saturday, April 02, 2011

 (Photo : Hindu community people offer pray in front of idols for Pakistan Cricket team ahead of the match between Pakistan and India in Mohali Stadium at Hanoman in Karachi, Pakistan)

Islamabad : The minorities particularly the Hindu community in Pakistan have also taken the lead in arranging special prayers for the success of the Pakistan team at different temples. "We have had special Pooja's at most mandirs (temples) in Karachi and interior Sindh. We may be Hindus but we are not Indians and we want our country to win the World Cup," snooker champion Naveen Pervani told the media here.

Watch exclusive vedio below on Hindus and Christans are praying for Pakistan Team victory in Karachi, Pakistan.

RAWALPINDI (Punjab), March 29: Like the Muslims and the Christians, the Hindu community also offered special prayers for the victory of Pakistani cricket team against India in the semi final being played in Mohali today (Wednesday).

More than 50 members of the Hindu community gathered at Krishna Mandir in Saddar on Tuesday and offered special prayers for the victory of Pakistani team.

“We are praying for the victory of our team in the semi final and also in final,” said Jag Mohan Kumar Arora, President Hindu Sikh Social Welfare Council (HSSWC) while talking to Dawn.

He said that being Pakistanis, the Hindus were willing to see the victory of green shirts against India. “Are you not considering us Pakistanis?” he posed a question in a lighter tone. He said that some of the Hindu girls would fast for the Pakistan’s victory.

Special prayers were also offered in Balmiki (lower cast Hindu) Mandir at Lal Kurti.

Om Parkash Narayan along with 20 people gathered at the temple and offered special prayers for the victory of Pakistan in the semi final.

In the same way, special prayers were also offered at Lal Kurti and Gowalmandi churches for the victory of Pakistani team.

“Pakistan will defeat India in semi final and then Sri Lanka in the final,” said Ashir Francis at Lal Kurti Church.

He said that they were planning to celebrate the Pakistan’s victory at a local hotel. He said, “Pakistan is our homeland and its team is ours.”

“We have arranged a big screen at Qasai Mohallah, Gowalmandi as every body wants to see the match on the big screen,” said Tariq Masih, a Christian residing near Gowalmandi Church.

In Westridge, the youngsters arranged Quran Khawani for the victory of Pakistani team. “We prayed to Almighty Allah seeking His blessings for the Pakistani team,” said Umer Sheikh, a resident of Westridge-III.

 (Photo : Pakistani Cricket Team for 2011 World Cup, Pakistan)

Peshawar (NWFP ) : The Hindu community in Peshawar on Tuesday evening held a special ceremony to pray for the victory of Pakistan cricket team in the upcoming semi-final against India.

The special prayers were arranged by the Hindu Balmik Mahsaba Peshawar at the Balmik Mandir Kali Bari in Peshawar Cantonment, where around 100 people including women and children took part in the special service.
The service commenced with Jai Genesh Jai chants and concluded Pandit Ghokal Ram praying for the success of the Pakistan team in the World Cup Semi-final and also for resolutions to other problems currently facing the country.

“We want to join our countrymen in their prayers and that is the reason this special prayers service was arranged to pray for a Pakistani team victory,” said Peshawar Hindu Mahsaba President Ram Lal. Mass prayers for a victory in the match are scheduled to be held all across Pakistan.

He said that they searched for posters of Pakistani players for the service, but all the shops were out of stock. He added that such has been the state of euphoria that even memoriblia could not be found.

Peshawar has a small Hindu minority of around 400 families, Lal said. He said that there were three temples to serve this community.

Pakistan Loses A Match, Wins Rare Unity

Mosques, churches, Sikh gurdwaras and Hindu temples were united in special prayers for the national team. Party flags disappeared in favor of the national flag, and Pakistanis learned a valuable lesson: an over-politicized nation has better things to do than watch boring politicians shouting on equally boring talk shows.

(Photo : Tendulkar is composed even in celebration. But a semi-final win and the prospect of a World Cup triumph at his home ground triggered this special moment, India)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Many Pakistanis were struck by the scenes they saw on the streets of Islamabad and Rawalpindi today: smiling shopkeepers, courteous car drivers and jolly passersby. The scenes were almost similar in Pakistani cities like Quetta, Karachi and Muzaffarabad. Teenagers painted their cheeks in the colors of the Green and the Crescent, and shops and offices displayed homemade and professional banners in support of the national team. Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Hindu places of worship across Pakistan were on the same page today. A nation demoralized by political and economic mess and beset by the disaster of fighting someone else’s failed war was suddenly transformed in the days leading up to today’s match.

Pakistani cricket team lost the match in the 2011 World Cup semifinal against India on Indian home turf. The defeat was minor: 29 runs short of victory. It seemed like a win that turned into defeat toward the end.

But more important than anything else, a nation divided by petty politics was united in a way not seen in a long time. It appeared Pakistanis wanted an excuse to show unity.

Pictures of 2011 Holi Celebration at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan

By Dr.Radhe Shyam Kumar (Executive Editor)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

 (Photo : Invitation Banner for 2011 Holi celebration at Nowshera (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or NWFP) By Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP, Pakistan)

Namaste !

Dear Gopinathji,

Please find below pictures of 2011 Holi Celebration at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan. Holi is a spring religious festival celebrated by Hindus worldwide and Holi festival is a God gift as all the colors of life, colors of joy, colors of happiness, colors of friendship, colors of love and all other colors you want to paint in your life.

2011 Holi festival was primarily organised by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) of Pakistan and supported by Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP). We are very thankful to our all guest of honor and our Chief guest and speaker were Mr.Amarnath Randhawa a president of HHS.

Hindu Sudhar Sabha Pakistan (HSSP) is government registered organization and also has account in MCB Pakistan. HSSP start working with anomalous speed and in very short time becomes famous in almost every department of the government.

For more information write us at namastepakistan@gmail.com or call Mr.Amarnath 92-321-477-2995

Your’s faithfully,

Amarnath Randhawa
President of HSSP Lahore Pakistan

(Photo : Location of Nowshera District (highlighted in yellow) within the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan)

Nowshera (Pashto: نوشار/نوشہرہ) is a district in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan - the principal city is Nowshera. Nowshera District is divided into 47 Union Councils and 5 provincial seats.

The district was part of the Peshawar Metropolitan Region. Nowshera was the third District of Peshawar Division, which was separated from Peshawer. This District is also called the link between Central Asia and India. It is of more significance because of being situated at the riverbank of Sindh (Indus). Old Peshawar was famous due to the large industrial base of Nowshehra Tehsil.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ameet Kumar
Date: Sat, Mar 19, 2011 at 10:33 PM
Subject: Report of meating in Nowshera....
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

Namastay and Wishing all PHP family a very Happy Holi .......

Nowshera : On 15-march we arrange the meeting with Hindu Community leader in Nowshera by Hssp .
Plan Holli Celebration in Nowshera and discussion about the Katas Raj and future plan the arrangement in katas. Meeting with Pandit Dalwar shankar , Ch Iqbal lal , Bibi  Nandni ,Amar Nath Randhawa , Dil Raj Gill , Naeem Sahotra ...

Next day meeting with Haroon Sarab Diyal...
Ameet Kumar (HHS-P)

 (Photo : Report of meating organized in Nowshera by Hindu Sudhar Sabha of Pakistan (HSS-P)

(Photo : Report of meating organized in Nowshera by Hindu Sudhar Sabha of Pakistan (HSS-P)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ameet Kumar
Date: Sun, Mar 20, 2011 at 12:54 AM
Subject: Report meeting for katas raj....
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

Namastey

Nowshera : Hindu Sudhar Sabha of Pakistan (HSS-P) arranged the one meeting 16 march 2011 in Gill House Nowshera Cantt.

Meeting with Haroon Sarab Diyal a President of All Hindu Rights Movement of pakistan (AHRM-P), Pandit Dalwaar Shankar, Dil Raj Gill and Amarnath join this meeting.

Meeting Purpose :-

Open decision about 02 march 2011 Maha Shiv Yatri at Katas. At the time during the yatra gapps and problems we face at Katas raj.

Suggestion :_

The arrangement of katas raj for next year yatra. Firstly make the katas parbandik committee of katas and select the Hindu members of all the province of Pakistan.

One delegation meet the Chairman Vaco Trust Property Board Aqaf, Chairman Archaeology Punjab and D.C.O & D.P.O Chakwal.

Please find below pictures of meeting and In this meeting all the member have agreed for Katas Yatra 2012 arrangment.

Report by,

Ameet Kumar

 (Photo : Report on meeting for Katas Raj 2012 Yatra by Hindu Sudhar Sabha of Pakistan (HSS-P) and AHRM, Pakistan)

  (Photo : Report on meeting for Katas Raj 2012 Yatra by Hindu Sudhar Sabha of Pakistan (HSS-P) and AHRM, Pakistan)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amar Nath 
Date: Sun, Mar 20, 2011 at 2:39 AM
Subject: Report and holi picture of nowshera
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

Namaste

Nowshera : Hindu Sudhar Sabha of Pakistan (HSS-P) Organized Holi Celebration on 19 march 2011.

Venu : Tilgudam Mandir at Nowshera Cantt (Pakistan)


The holi function stared with prathna led by Amarnath ji and he explained attendant guests how to celebrate holi and also explain importance of Multan Prahlad temple issue. Everyone including women, man, children had participated in the that holi function in Nowshera.

We all also prayed for Peace and Stability for Pakistan and thanks to PHP support. Please find below pictures of Holi Celebration at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan.

Best Regards,
Amarnath Randhawa

 (Photo : 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

  (Photo : 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

  (Photo : Amarnath Randhawa speaking at Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

  (Photo : Local Hindus celebrating holi at Nowshera organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP, Pakistan)

 (Photo : Local Hindu womens at 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

 (Photo : 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

(Photo : 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

(Photo : 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

 (Photo : 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

(Photo : 2011 Holi Celebration organized by Hindu Sudhar Sabha (HSS) and PHP at Nowshera (NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan)

For more information write us at namastepakistan@gmail.com or call Mr.Amarnath Randhawa 92-321-477-2995

The PHP Team

Best Wishes and Introduction on Maha Shivaratri, Pakistan

By Gopinath Kumar (editor-in-chief )
Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Om Namah Shivaya - Om Hrim Namah Shivaya

 

 (Photo : Best Wishes for Maha-Shivaratri by PHP and HRF, Pakistan)

Om Maheswaraya namaha, Om Mahadevaya namaha,

Om Sarveswaraya namaha,

Om Shivaya namaha,  Om Shankaraya namaha

Om Trayambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanat Mrutyor Mukshiya Mamrutat

The night of the Neelkanth

By : Amar Guriro | Published: March 01, 2011

KARACHI - Hindus throughout Sindh have made all arrangements to celebrate one of the biggest Hindu festivals, the Maha Shivratri (the Great Night of Lord Shiva), which would be celebrated tomorrow (Wednesday). The Hindu community has decorated local temples with colourful flags, lights and buntings, and the statues of Shiva in every Shiva temple in Karachi are bathed with milk for the big night.

Women and children have bought new clothes and various pooja (worship) items for the prayers to be held on the night when every Hindu family would devote the entire night to chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ (‘I bow to Lord Shiva’) and other holy mantras.

Though arrangements have been made to celebrate the event at all local temples, the central programme would be held in the centuries-old historical Shiva temple located inside a cave in one of the city’s posh areas, Clifton.

According to Maharaj Shanjav Sharma, the festival is celebrated every year on the night between the 13th and 14th day of the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) in the month of Maagha of the Hindu calendar. He added that Hindus dedicate one night to the leading Hindu god Shiva, also known as Neelkanth (blue-throated). 

According to Hindu mythology, Shiva once consumed the poison Halahala, which was churned up from the world ocean, and his wife Parvati stopped it in his throat with her hands, causing the poison to turn his throat blue.

Most Hindus celebrate Shivratri by fasting for the entire day; in the evening, they make offerings of milk, water, fruits, joss sticks and bel patra (bel tree leaves); and at night, prasad (edible gift) is distributed among the worshippers.

Hindu mythology states that three gods control the universe - Brahma created it, Vishnu preserves and protects it, and Shiva would ultimately destroy it; however, in addition to being the destroyer, Shiva is also the protector. A pundit of the Shiva temple said that more than 200,000 people - not only from the city, but from other parts of the province as well - visit the temple on Shivratri and offer special prayers to Lord Shiva.

“You can observe long queues from evening to dawn inside the cave, waiting for their turn to perform pooja, while some bathe Shiva’s statue with water and milk, offering bel patra and sweets,” he added. The Hindu community is the largest religious minority in Pakistan, as according to the official 1998 census, there are around 2.7 million Hindus in the country, most of whom live in Sindh and celebrate their religious festivals on a massive scale.

Some Hindu leaders believe that the Hindu population in Pakistan has grown to around 7.8 million since the last national census. They said that there were more than 450 Hindu temples in Karachi before the partition of the Indian subcontinent, but now only 60 temples remain, as most of them have been illegally occupied or demolished.

The PHP Team

Resignation of Ram Singh Sodho a Hindu lawmaker is 'alarming', says Pakistani daily

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Wednesday, February 02, 2011

(Photo : 2009 Hindu MPA Ram Singh Sodho debating on how thousands of acres of land were lying un-allotted in Tharparkar district in Pakistan)

Islamabad : The resignation of a Hindu lawmaker who had received threats is 'alarming', said a Pakistani daily, adding that 'no minority, irrespective of caste, creed or religious beliefs, is safe' in the country. 

An editorial in the Daily Times Wednesday said: 'On Saturday the resignation of a Hindu member of the Sindh Assembly, Ram Singh Sodho, after reportedly receiving threats is alarming.'

Sodho was elected in 2008 on a Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) reserved seat for minorities.

Fearing for his life, he sent in his resignation from India to the speaker of the Sindh assembly, Nisar Ahmad Khoro.

'Historically, minorities - especially Hindus - in Sindh and Balochistan have been an integral part of society.

Even during the time of partition when Punjab was witnessing some of the worst communal riots in the history of the subcontinent, Sindh and Balochistan were comparatively peaceful.

'Interior Sindh is abundant with prominent Hindu families that thrive economically and have been central to the province's development. These families are also steeped in and maintain the indigenous heritage and culture of Sindh,' the editorial said.

Noting that religious intolerance has been 'in the forefront ever since the Lal Masjid operation in 2007', it said: 'No minority, irrespective of caste, creed or religious beliefs, is safe.'

Citing media reports that 400 to 500 Pakistani Hindu families, who have received threats, are trying to obtain Indian citizenship, the editorial pointed out that with attacks on 'Shias, Ahmedis, Christians and now Hindus becoming a daily occurrence, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government, which champions itself as the defender of minority rights, must deliver'.

It bluntly said that successive governments have 'failed to legislate and provide sufficient mechanisms for protecting minorities'.

'The blame is even greater on the governments during the 1970s and 80s for promulgating laws that ostracised minorities. Minority groups rightly raise questions as to the fulfilment of the promise made before partition for the integration as full and equal citizens of minorities in Pakistani society.'

The editorial said that due to the 'extremism that has crept into society, we have become increasingly intolerant. The greatest example of this is the assassination of (Punjab governor) Shaheed Salman Taseer for his stance on the right of a Christian woman to justice'.

Pakistan : Taliban continues onslaught against minorities

By Alexander Aftab Mughal
Monday, January 10, 2011

(Photo : Alexander Aftab Mughal in Pakistan)

Islamabad : For more than three decades, Shia Muslims, along with Christians, Hindus and Ahmadis, in Pakistan have suffered under constant attacks by Islamic militant organisations.

In a latest terrorist incident on Dec. 27, 2010 terrorists attacked outside Jama Masjid Kolacki in D. I. Khan. Extremists used grenade and fire arms during the violence. One Shia Muslim sustained serious injuries and admitted in a hospital in Multan, a main city of Southern Punjab. He is still in a critical condition. For many years, Shia community has been the main target of Sunni militant organisations in city. On Feb. 20, 2009, in a suicide attack on a Shia funeral procession 32 people were killed and more than 150 people became injured.

On Dec. 16, a mortar attack killed nine (9) people, including women and children in Hangu, a town that has been a flashpoint for sectarian clashes between Pakistan's Shia and Sunni Muslim communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province. On the same day in another attack one child was killed and 28 people were wounded in Peshawar, the capital of KP province, as Shia Muslims marked Ashura, a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

Sixty-five (65) Shia Muslims were killed and more than 150 injured in a suicide blast in Quetta city, the capital of Baluchistan province, on Sept. 3, during an Al-Quds Day rally. Taliban claim the responsibility.

In Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, a suicide bomber struck Shia worshippers on Sept. 2 as they were dispersing after a procession, in which 31 people were killed and more than 200 injured. On the same say, in Karachi, the capital of Sindh, assailants opened fires on a Shia procession in which seven people were injured.

More than 2,000 Shia Muslims have been killed in Pakistan's Kurram Agency since the beginning of a violent campaign against Shias by pro-Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants in 2007, Press TV reported on Dec. 29.

The number of deaths from sectarian attacks has already reached 302 for 2010, compared to 190 for the whole of last year.

According to a media report, a total of 356 innocent Pakistanis have so far been killed and 612 others injured in 12 bloody incidents of terrorism in the first 350 days of 2010, as extremist sectarian and jihadi elements continue to target different places of worship across Pakistan, including mosques, madrassas, imambargahs (where Shia Muslims gather for their religious ceremonies), shrines and Ahmadi places of worship.

In addition, the Interior Ministry of Pakistan’s figure shows that 30 people were killed on average per month in 12 gory attacks between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15, 2010, most of which were carried out by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Most of the attacks were sectarian in nature, and carried out by Sunni-Deobandi groups such as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Jamaatul Furqaan, Harkatul Jehadul Islami (HUJI), and Lashkar-e-Islami, though their motivation varies. Most of the victims were Shias, Barelvis and Ahmadis,” Amir Mir, a senior Pakistani journalist writes.

Taliban and other hard-line militant groups consider Shias as non-Muslims. But it is interesting to note that the founder of Islamic state of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Twelver Shia. “When he (Jinnah) died in 1948, it was necessary for his sister, Fatima Jinnah, to declare him a Shia in order to inherit his property as per Jinnah’s will. She filed an affidavit, jointly signed by Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, at the Sindh High Court, describing Jinnah as ‘Shia Khoja Mohamedan’ and praying that his will may be disposed of under Shia inheritance law. The court accepted the petition,” a senior Pakistani journalist Khaled Ahmed writes for The Friday Times on Dec. 24-30, 2010.

Although all major militant organisations are banned in Pakistan, the federal and provincial government seem unwilling to control their violent activities. Weekly Time magazine reported that the attack on Data Darbar, situated in Lahore, is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in the sub-continent, a drew outrage across the country and forced the Punjab government headed by Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to carry out a crackdown on sectarian groups. But the arrests were merely a roundup of known low-level members and were decried as insufficient by analysts and opposition politicians alike. "The Punjab government has a very specific history of greater tolerance towards Sunni extremists," says Ali Dayan Hasan of Human Rights Watch.

Shias are not only facing attacks by the militant groups but also confronting numerous other pressures which make them more vulnerable and insecure. According to a Shia leader Maulana Hassan Zafar Naqvi, 10 missing Shias were abducted from different areas of the Karachi city within last 10 days by the law enforcement agencies.

It is time that Pakistan’s politicians realized that the ultimate aim of such extremist outfits, many of whom are hand in glove with the TTP, is to ignite sectarian conflict in the country, Pakistan daily Dawn observed.


Aftab Alexander Mughal is the editor of Minorities Concern of Pakistan and Spero's Asia correspondent.

Pakistan : In the name of religion 32 blasphemy cases in Sindh

Friday, January 07, 2011

(Note : Not only the accused, but the legal community also faces the ire of vigilantes.)

KARACHI: According to the Sindh police, 32 blasphemy cases have been registered in the province this year, which include five in Karachi, six in the Hyderabad region and 21 in the Sukkur region.

While the Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) has a record of 11 blasphemy cases registered in Karachi from January to December 7, 2010, the Karachi police say they have not registered any case this year.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) knows of one incident in Karachi this year – a conviction in a 2006 blasphemy case. HRCP says a total of 24 cases and convictions have been recorded in Pakistan in 2010. Blasphemy cases in Sindh are believed to be less in number than in Punjab. HRCP director and activist IA Rehman told The Express Tribune that this is because, “Anti-Ahmadi sentiment is more prevalent in Punjab, where politics is also mixed with religion. The issue of Ahmadis in Punjab is where the blasphemy laws arose from.”

However, like Punjab, blasphemy cases in Sindh have had violent outcomes. Since 1986, at least three people have been murdered after being charged under the blasphemy laws, according to data compiled by the HRCP and the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP). Jagdesh Kumar was killed in 2008 by colleagues at his workplace in Korangi, while Zafar Ahmad, from the Ahmadi community, was killed in Dadu in 2000. Anees Mallah, who was serving a jail term, was attacked by a mob of 200 people in the Sanghar prison on April 3, 2009. He was reportedly tortured before being shot dead. HRCP’s 2009 annual report quoted his brother as saying that he had been wrongly implicated. In March 2008, Mallah had crashed into a gate erected for a Milad event which angered the organisers, who implicated him in a blasphemy case.
According to the NCJP, three women have been accused in Sindh under the blasphemy laws. In 2009, Tabassum Malkana in Sanghar was accused of desecrating the Quran. In Karachi, Akhtari Begum was booked under Pakistan Penal Code Section 295-B in 2001 for claiming to be a prophet and Bushra Taseer was charged under Section 295-C in 1996 after a tailor alleged that she had given him cloth to stitch, which had a religious inscription on it.

A key issue in such cases is the lack of legal support and security for defendants and their legal counsel. Extra-judicial killings of those accused of blasphemy have taken place since 1990, but the legal community has also faced the ire. In 1997, Lahore High Court judge Arif Iqbal Bhatti, who had acquitted two Christians in a blasphemy case in 1995, was shot dead as he left the court.

Human rights lawyer Zia Awan says defending such cases “is a difficult job”. “We are living in a mad country. Even Islam allows people to defend themselves and so does our law. But the government should arrange for lawyers to defend those accused of blasphemy and provide protection to lawyers in such cases,” he told The Express Tribune. “Prosecutors of anti-terrorism courts recently went on strike for the same reason – to demand that they be provided security to do their job.”

IA Rehman says, “There are also professional complainants who accuse people of having committed blasphemy. Such people are present in Sindh too but in a smaller number.”

In May 2010, two Christian couples residing in Karachi were reportedly accused of blasphemy and went into hiding. According to the Asian Human Rights Commission, seven Hindus from the Bheemo Mal Megwar Para area in Mirpurkhas were reportedly arrested on blasphemy charges in August 2010 after an attack on August 23 by the area’s Muslim residents on a Hindu settlement.

Discrimination with Scheduled Caste Hindus in Pakistan by BBC News

By BBC News (Urdu)

Dear Friends,

                   Hope you will be fine, Please Read the BBC article of Flood Affectied people on discrimination with Scheduled Caste from uper caste Hindus.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2010/09/100907_hindu_flood_dalits.shtml?s
For more detail Please contact with us feel free.

With Regards,

PHP Team (Pakistan)

ہندوؤں کی امداد سے دلت باہر

نثار کھوکھر

بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، لاڑکانہ

لاڑکانہ کے دھرم شالا میں قائم امدادی کیمپ میں شیڈول کاسٹ یعنی دلت ہندؤں کا داخلہ منع ہے

پاکستان کے صوبہ سندھ کے سیلاب متاثرین میں ایک کثیر تعداد اقلیتی ہندؤں کی بھی ہے جو جیکب آباد، بلوچستان اور دیگر شہروں سے نقل مکانی کر کے لاڑکانہ کے ہندو دھرم شالا میں پہنچے ہیں۔

لاڑکانہ کے دھرم شالا میں پانچ سو کے قریب ہندو خاندانوں کو رہائش اور خوراک فراہم کی گئی ہے مگر شیڈول کاسٹ یعنی دلت ہندوؤں کو اس منظم امداد سے باہر رکھا گیا ہے۔
تاریخ کے بدترین سیلاب میں سب کچھ بہہ چکا ہے مگر مذہبی اور طبقاتی تفریق تاحال باقی ہے۔
لاڑکانہ کی ہندو پنچایت اور دھرم شالا کے چیرمین لیکھراج مل نے بی بی سی کو بتایا ہے کہ ہندو برادری نے اپنی مدد آپ کے تحت ایک ماہ قبل امدادی کام شروع کیا جب کشمور کندھ کوٹ کے کرم پور اور غوث پور شہر ڈوبے اور ہندؤں نے نقل مکانی کی ہے۔
ان کا کہنا ہے کہ یہ امدادی کام تاحال جاری ہے۔
لیکھراج کے مطابق دھرم شالا میں پانچ سو خاندان رہائش پذیر ہیں جن کے لیے روزانہ کھانے کا مینو تبدیل ہوتا ہے۔
لیکھراج کے مطابق سیلاب متاثرہ ہندؤں کے لیے چوبیس گھنٹے چائے اور بچوں کا دودھ دستیاب ہوتا ہے۔ دھرم شالا میں کم از کم ایک ہفتے کا راشن جمع کر کے رکھا جاتا ہے۔
ہندو دھرم شالا لاڑکانہ کے منتظمین کا کہنا ہے کہ انہوں نے کبھی کسی حکومتی ادارے یا غیر سرکاری تنظیم کے دروازے پر امداد کے لیے دستک نہیں دی ہے۔
امداد کے طریقہ کار کی تفصیل بتاتے ہوئے لیکھراج نے کہا ہے کہ کبھی کوئی دس دن کا دودھ دے جاتا ہے تو کوئی بیس بوری چاول یا پندرہ دن کا صابن دے جاتا ہے۔ ’وہ خود آگے بڑھتے ہیں ہم ان کے دروازے تک نہیں جاتے‘۔

اوڈ ، باگڑی اور دیگر نچلی سطح کی ہندو جاتیوں کا رہن سہن الگ طرح کا ہے اور وہ کاروباری یا متوسط طبقے کے ہندوؤں سے مل جل کر نہیں رہ سکتے۔

لیکھراج مل

دھرم شالا لاڑکانہ کے اس منظم و مثالی امدادی کیمپ میں شیڈول کاسٹ یعنی دلت ہندوؤں کا داخلہ منع ہے۔
پروفیسر شام لعل کا کہنا ہے کہ ان کا مذہب تو اس تفریق کی اجازت نہیں دیتا مگر اوڈ ، باگڑی اور دیگر نچلی سطح کی ہندو جاتیوں کا رہن سہن الگ طرح کا ہے اور وہ کاروباری یا متوسط طبقے کے ہندوؤں سے مل جل کر نہیں رہ سکتے۔
شام لعل کےمطابق دلتوں کے برتن ،ان کے کپڑے اور سماجی رویہ بلکل ہی الگ ہے۔
ہندو پئنچات کے چیئرمین لیکھراج کا کہنا ہے کہ سیلاب سے متاثر ہندو اپنے ساتھ نقدی اور کئی قیمتی اشیاء ساتھ لے کر آئے ہیں اور اوڈ یا باگڑی طبقوں کا کوئی بھروسہ نہیں ہے۔
’اگر سیلاب سے متاثر کاروباری طبقے میں سے کسی کی چوری ہوگئی تو ہم کیا کریں گے‘۔
سیلاب سے متاثر درجنوں دلت خاندان لاڑکانہ بس سٹینڈ کے امدادی کیمپ میں رہائش پذیر ہیں۔
ہندو پنچایت کا کہنا ہے کہ وہ دلتوں کو دھرم شالا میں نہیں ٹھہرا سکتے مگر روزانہ ایک وقت کا کھانا انہیں کیمپ میں فراہم کیا جا رہا

Pakistani Minister Shahbaz Bhatti assures safe recovery of Kolhi (Hindu Man)

By Daily News
Tuesday, Augest 31, 2010

ISLAMABAD : Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti on Sunday urged the authorities to make all-out efforts to recover Veerji Kolhi, a senior member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), who had been missing since August 19.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, the minister said he would not allow anyone to take law into its own hands and terrorise innocent people. He said justice would be ensured to everyone in the country. He promised to take all necessary measures for the safe recovery of Kolhi.

The minister has also directed the provincial governments to ensure protection of life and property of minorities and their places of worship at every cost. He also sought an inquiry report within three days. Kolhi belongs to a Hindu community from Hyderabad.

Prem Chand We Are Ashamed!

by Ali Abbas
Wednesday, 25 Augest, 2010

(PHOTO : Prem Chand at a session of the Youth Parliament of Pakistan )

PAKISTAN : There have been very few times when I have not found the right words to express my grief, sorrow, anger or passion for something and today is one of those days as today I write for my man, Prem Chand – A Pakistani Hindu, a true patriot, a social worker who spent his life trying to uplift the condition of his fellow countrymen, he gave sweat and tears to this land of pure. An elected member of PILDAT;s Youth Parliament, whose fellow YP’s say the following about him:

He greeted muslims with a warm Assalamo alaikum…he sent msgs of congratulations on shab barat and other holy days…..He used “Allah” hafiz to bid farewell…and he swore by this name…I hv been with him….He was more of a sufi who believed in all religions and the good things in them.

And it doesnt even matter if was he was that intolerant about religious beliefs, even if he were a staunch Hindu he didnot deserve what we gave him. He was on board EQ-202 Airbus 321, Airblue’s flight to Islamabad which crashed in Margalla Hills leaving 152 dead and the nation mourned (officially for 01 day). He was not travelling on personal visit, he was meant to be present at Youth Parliaments session the next day.

And like said above, he gave his sweat and tears to this land of pure – and what did he get? Some religious bigot wrote “Kaafir” (English: Infidel) on his coffin. (Link) We are no short of these religious bigots whose favorite pass time is to judge and discriminate on Pakistanis on basis of their faith – but this sad incident, which killed 152 human beings was an opportunity for these religious fanatics to show their true face. The poor guy, who was born in a Hindu family and spent his life trying to work for the people of his country was given the title of “Kaafir” by someone amongst us. This particular segment of our society pounces on every opportunity to exhibit their religious fanaticism from the very beginning, when Quaid e Azam (the founder of Pakistan) was labelled as “Kaafir-e-Azam”.

Bear in mind, Pakistan was made because people of Indo-Pak subcontinent felt they were discriminated upon on the basis of their faith – The same we are doing with our minorities.

I would cross-post some of his words here:

I believe in democratic process, because true democracy can solve all problems of state. – Prem Chand.

Prem Chand’s last status update on Facebook was: “Comments Can Make a Person & Comments Can Break a Person.”So Be Careful and Ethical While Giving Comments for Someone.” – He rightly said so. A single word comment on his coffin has shattered many across Pakistan.

I protest against these religious fanatics and I salute Prem Chand – And all the Prem Chands in the making and I confess to the religious minorities of Pakistan – that just because of our silence, just because of our muted response to injustices done to you – we stand here after 64 years. I dig my head in shame, and I vow to fight for you, for us, for the Pakistan we were supposed to have.

Please join this page on facebook as we try to take it from, to pick it from here and voice out for minorities of Pakistan.

Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi


Below is the letter written by Zulqarnain, Prem’s friend:

Its very painful for me to write to defend such gem of a person. But in a society like ours where people are discriminated on the basis of their faith, Its essential to show these religious bigots their real face.

Prem chand was born to a poor family and was its lone feeder. He belonged to Sanghar, Sindh. He was 25 and was married and also had children. He, however, looked younger than his age and we also used to crack jokes on him for this which he thoroughly enjoyed. He certainly was not a “man” and had those boyish looks. He was doing masters from Sindh university, something pertaining to Social work. He not only called himself a social worker but his text messages also bore this signature. The signature was later changed to “YP Minister” when he was made minister for Youth affairs, culture and sports in previous session of YP. This honour was well deserved as he had prepared and presented a comprehensive research report on state of social welfare in Pakistan. He was hardworking, dedicated and sincere. His educational back ground was such that he could not make flowery speeches.
He was not good at speaking English and his Urdu also had that pinch of Sindhi accent but this never deterred him to stand up and speak whenever he wanted. He was a patriot and loved pakistan, worried about it as much as we “muslims” do, brought resolutions, prepared them, asked for help, tried to pinpoint and resolve all the problems that Pakistan faces, spoke against India on water issue and had no qualms on the prospect of going to war with her. I say all this to show that he was “normal”. He was not alien or “Indian”.

I have met many people from religious minorities. All of them have that peculiar air about them. they lack confidence, they have fears of the unknown, They are very cautious. Prem Chand also seemed to be the victim of discrimination. Though that did not make him a loner, but it sure taught him to love more. He over tried. tried to be more good to you than u wud expect, tried to make good friends of everyone. Most of the time he lived in the room right next to me during the sessions so he often came over to my room. Thats when I observed this. He would send u text messages just to stay in touch. he wont mind if u didnt reply. I guess, he could not afford to be egotistic.

He was very tolerant in his religious views. We never discussed religion much. Though once I remember a fellow colleague of us talked to him in good faith. He probably wanted to convert him to Islam. Though he never said so. There I came to know that Prem knew much about Islam. He liked Zakir Nayak and comparative studies of different religions. He was interested in Sufism as well. And he wont mind if u asked him questions about hinduism. When interacting with us he would use “muslim” greetings not to prove anything but simply to avoid putting others in a difficult situation.

I still remember the time when we used to hang out. He used to borrow cigarettes from friends and puff away scores of them just for the fun of it. He was not a smoker though. I also remember that prem did not have a FB account. He also did not know how to make one so Hassan Javed (the late youth prime minister) made one for him on his laptop. When the account was made he jokingly asked Hassan to allow him to add Hassan’s female friends as he did not have girlfriends of his own……Thats all I can remember right now hope it helps.

Hindu Community in NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa State, Demands Basic Human Rights, Pakistan

By Rajesh Kumar (PHP Islamabad)
Friday, June 18, 2010

(PHOTO : Map of Peshawar City as Capital of NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)

Peshawar City : The minority Hindu community in northwest Pakistan has demanded that it should be provided the same basic rights as Christians living in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

Hindus in northwest Pakistan have no cremation grounds, scholarships for students or special schools in the entire tribal belt, community leader Pandit Jay Gopal said during a dialogue on the rights of minorities in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

The seminar held here yesterday was also addressed by the Bishop of the Orthodox Church of Pakistan, Ernest Jacob, and people from different walks of life.

They stressed that the rights of Christians must be protected.

Minority community leader Arshad Masih argued that minorities living in the tribal areas are not issued domicile certificates and this negates their basic human rights.

The children of minority communities are not admitted to schools and youths are not given jobs because they do not have domicile certificates, he contended.