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.

Hindus and other minorities 'under attack' : 2010 HRCP reports, Pakistan

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Saturday, April 16, 2011

(Photo : The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan launched its annual report, State of Human Rights in 2010 at a press conference in Islamabad on April 14, 2011)

Islamabad : Stating that about 25 percent of Sikhs in Orakzai Agency were forced to leave their homes and 27 Hindu families sought asylum in India due to security threats, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called 2010 a particularly bad year for minorities.

The report released on Thursday said that about 25 percent of the 102 Sikh families in Orakzai Agency had to leave after Taliban asked them to pay Jaziya or leave the area. The Sikhs could return only after a major military operation.

It also said that at least 27 Hindu families had sought asylum in India due to security threats.

HRCP has said the government did not extend sympathies to the victims of faith-related killings, Dawn reported on Friday.

The report "State of Human Rights in 2010" said there were few positive developments in Pakistan with regard to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

It stated that there had been a string of faith-based attacks in which not only were minorities targeted but 418 Muslims belonging to various sects were also killed.

"All indications suggest that there are even worse times ahead.”

"Extremist views grew more vociferous as voices for basic human rights and tolerance became more isolated in face of violence and intimidation," the report said.

Criticising the police, the report stated that it was not doing enough to protect the minorities from attacks and had also been accused of harassing or being complicit in framing false charges.

(Photo : Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Working for the ratification and implementation by Pakistan of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

HRCP chairman Mehdi Hassan was quoted as saying that most of the human rights violations were by government functionaries.

"Under such conditions, who will ensure that the laws are being implemented?"

The report said that as many as 64 people were charged under the blasphemy law last year and many of them were imprisoned.

A Muslim and two Christian men accused of blasphemy were killed in police custody, the media report said.

Mentioning the law and order situation, it said about 12,580 people were murdered and 581 kidnapped for ransom. At least 16,977 abduction cases were reported.

As many as 1,159 people, included 1,041 civilians, were killed in 67 suicide attacks.

For more information about Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) visit :-
http://www.hrcp-web.org/default.asp
 

Pakistan Islamic militants killed 2,500 peoples in 2010, HRCP report says

 http://pakistanhindupost.blogspot.com/2011/04/pakistan-islamic-militants-killed-2500.html

The PHP Team

Sikhs celebrating Baisakhi in Pakistan

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Thursday, April 14, 2011

(Photo : A view of Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Punjab, Pakistan)

TAXILA: The Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal on Tuesday echoed with “Wahe guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe guru Ji Ki Fateh” and “Jo bolay so nihal”, marking the beginning of Besakhi festival.

Over 1,400 Sikh yatrees from India and over a thousand from Fata and rural Sindh have reached Hassanabdal to celebrate the 312th three-day festival.

On early Tuesday morning Indian Sikh pilgrims led by Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) member Gurwinder Singh Shampura arrived through two special trains from Lahore via Wagah border. It may be mentioned here that 341 devotees were denied permission to accompany the Jatha.

Much enthusiasm was observed at the Punja Sahib which was giving a festive look as women and children were wearing colorful dress and men with yellow and blue turbans.

Hundreds of the devotees, including men and women, were seen reciting the verses from the Guru Grunth, the holy book of the Sikh religion.

According to the Sikh religion, the Besakhi festival is celebrated only at the holy city of Hassanabdal, where lies the Gurdwara Punja Sahib. In 1921, it was decided by the Gurus (elders) of the Sikh religion to celebrate the event on the first day of Sunsikrat month of Besakh in memory of the day of the first Besakh in the year 1699 when the 10th Guru of the Sikh religion awarded Punj Kaaf slot and symbol to Guru Goband at the city of Anandpur Sahib (India).

The festival would be concluded on April 14 and the pilgrims will go to Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, and return to Dera Sahib, Lahore, on April 17. They will also visit Dera Rohri Sahib, Aimanabad, and Kartarpur in Narowal, before they return to India on April 20.

Moreover, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) with the help of Pakistan Sikh Gurdawara Prabandhak Committee had made arrangements of boarding and food for pilgrims.

Meanwhile, leader of Indian Sikh pilgrims and Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) member Gurwinder Singh Shampur talking to newsmen said Sikhs living both sides of the border wanted peace and better relations between India and Pakistan.He said that the Sikh yatrees consider Pakistan as their second home because some of the holiest places of the Sikh religion situated here. He said that the Indian Sikh community considered Pakistan as their holy land and its people as their brethren.

The Sikh pilgrims’ leader said that Pakistani government always accorded warm welcome to them. He said that the both Punjabs culture, taboos, language, dresses and living style were same and they were living in the same environment for decades that was the reason that they considered both Punjabs as brothers.

He said that said Pakistan was very important for Sikhs because Guru Nanak Dev was born and died here.

Future for Khalistan and emergence of Sikhism at cost of Hinduism in Pakistan

By Mukhtar Ahmad (USA)
Thursday, March 31, 2011

(Photo : 2010 A Sikh delegation comprising leaders of various jathas met Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in Lahore during the birthday anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, the first spiritual leader of the community)

Amritsar : While the Sikh leadership in India, especially in Punjab, is worried over rising trend of ‘patitpuna’ (apostate), a large number of [Sindhi Sehajdharis] in Pakistan, have joined the Sikh fold by getting themselves baptised.

[At least 25 per cent ‘Sehajdhari Sikhs’ from the Sindh province have entered the Khalsa Panth, by taking Amrit, in the recent past.]

It sounds unbelievable that persons who introduced themselves as Jawahar Singh, Vijay Singh and Parkash Singh with blowing beards were Jawahar Lal, Vijay Kumar and Om Parkash, respectively, only few months ago. As compared to the Hindus, the Sikhs are considered more safe in Pakistan. Many Pakistani Hindus, who had come to India, in the past had never returned to their country, due to their continuous persecution.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Vijay Singh said there were more than 15 lakh Hindus in Sindh province itself, who were devout Sehajdhari Sikhs. He said most of the Sindhis could easily read Sri Guru Granth Sahib in ‘Gurmukhi’ script without any problem. Mr Darshan Singh (previous name Prof Darshan Singh Ji Khalsa) said the ‘Gurmukhi’ was being taught in Hindu temples and Gurdwaras to the younger generation, so that they could remain devout Sikhs.

These temples, schools and Gurdwaras include Baba Hardass Ram School, Gurdwara Nanakwara, Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh, Guru Arjan Dev Pathshala and Baba Bhoj Ram Temple. Raja, a student of class VII from Dehrki district (Pakistan) said he would be baptised as per the wishes of his parents (Sehajdhari Sikhs) shortly.

Baba Amir Singh and Baba Amarjit Singh from Peshawar said the Pakistani Sikhs got disappointed when they saw ‘patit’ Sikhs accompanying the Indian jathas, who visited Pakistan every year, to pay their obeisance in Gurdwaras there. They said the government of India should not give visas to the ‘patit Sikhs’ to visit Pakistan as their appearance hurt the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat in Pakistan. They said the SGPC should not recommend the visas at ‘patit Sikhs'.

Baba Amarjit Singh, a Granthi of Gurdwara Joga Singh (Peshawar) said the Sikh pilgrims from Pakistan would like to meet Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar Akal Takht for seeking his guidance to maintain ‘Maryada’ in gurdwaras of Pakistan.

Though the SGPC or Akal Takht object to the performance of akhand path in temples in India, Sri Guru Granth Sahib is placed in a number of temples in Pakistan. A number of Pakistani Hindus including Mr Jai Ram and Mr Jaipal said they perform path of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in temples every day.

(Photo : Gurudwara Dera Sahib Panjvin Patshahi - Shrine of Guru Arjan Dev (1563- 1606 A.D) Lahore : Gurudwara Dera Sahib is situated opposite Lahore Fort near Badshahi Mosque. This is the place where Sat Gur Arjun Dev Ji was martyred in the River Ravi facing the tortures inflicted by Chandu on 30th May 1606 AD)

Introduction : Sikhism in Pakistan has an extensive heritage and history, although Sikhs form a very small community in the Islamic Republic today. Most Sikhs live in the province of Punjab, where the religion was born in the middle ages. Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is located in the Pakistani province.

Nationwide, there are no reliable numerical figures for Sikhs in the country. Estimates vary, the US Department of State estimates 20,000.The largest Sikh population in Pakistan is found in Peshawar, in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which was spared the scale of violence during partition that raged in Punjab. There are small pockets of Sikhs in Lahore and Nankana Sahib in Punjab.

The emergence of the Sikh community within Pakistan

After the creation of Pakistan the Sikh community's rights were diminished. Recently the Sikh community within Pakistan has been making every effort possible to progress in Pakistan. For example Harcharan Singh became the first Sikh to join the Pakistan army. For the first time in the 58 year history of Pakistan there has a Sikh been selected into Pakistan's army. Prior to Harcharan Singh's selection in the Pakistani army no individual person who was a member of the Hindu or the Sikh community were ever enrolled in the army, but there are reports which states that the Pakistani Christian community has served in the army and some had even reached into to the ranks of a Brigadier in the army.

 (Photo : 2008 Lt Hercharn Singh a first Sikh cadet of Pakistan's Army shakes hands with PM, Pakistan)

Moreover, members of the tiny Parsi community have some representation in the Armed Forces. First time in the history of Pakistan as well as in the history of Lahore a Sikh person has been appointed as a traffic Sub Inspector. Dr. Gulab Singh who is just 25 years old, is a practising homeopathic doctor and he is from the same place as Harcharan Singh (Nankana Sahib). Gulab Singh is fluent in Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Seraiki, Sindhi, and little bit of English. In yet another contribution to the Pakistani Sikh community, Pakistan Government enacted the Sikh marriage act, Anand Marriage act, in November 2007. This Sikh marriage act allows not only the Sikhs in Pakistan, but also Sikhs living in anywhere in the world to register in Pakistan with the Sikh marriage act.

After the success of Harcharan Singh in Pakistan's army and Gulab Singh as a traffic inspector, now it's the turn of Kalyan Singh Kalyan who is the first Sikh Province Assembly Member in Pakistan and Kalyan is a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).The first Sikh musician also emerged on the music industry in 2009, Jassi Lailpuria, launched his first song on independence day entitled, Sohna Pakistan. Rupinder Singh Magon (Rup) from the band JoSH is also a superstar in Pakistan and is very popular among the youth of the country although he lives in Canada but travels to Pakistan a lot for Concerts and TV engagements. He, along with his band mate Qurram Hussain, was part of Coke Studio as well which is a big achievement. 

Blames are that Pakistani Army and ISI have always Supported Khalistan Movement in Indian Punjab

 (Photo : A proposed flag for Khalistan)

Amritsar : 2010 Indian Police Chief of Indian Punjab P.S. Gill has said on this Friday in a Press Conference that Pakistani Intelligence Agency (ISI) is supporting the Khalistan Movement in Indian Punjab. While Talking to Media in Amritsar he said that ISI is helping Khalistan Movement Terrorists  to penetrate  in East of Punjab.

He also claimed that Terrorists are getting Millions of Rupees and weapons from ISI and they have also got training of making Bombs from ISI. Khalistan Movement was started in early 80's in Indian Punjab to make a separate state after Indian army done massive killings of Sikhs. Indian Army also destroyed the most sacred religious place of Sikhs the Golden temple in a operation.

Introduction to Khalistan Movement : The goal of the Khalistan movement is or was to create a Sikh homeland, often called Khālistān (Punjabi: ਖ਼ਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ, Hindi: ख़ालिस्तान "The Land of the Pure"), in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, depending on definition. Harking back to the 18th century Sikh Empire, the envisioned Sikh state would include the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, New Delhi, parts of the Kashmir, parts of Rajasthan, and parts of Gujurat. There is also a demand for areas in Pakistan, including Punjab and Sindh.

for more information visit the below link -

Pakistan interior secretary visits Sikh Golden Temple, But why not any Hindu Temple

Pakistan interior secretary visits Sikh Golden Temple, But why not any Hindu Temple

By PHP Staff
Thursday, March 31, 2011

(Photo : Pakistan interior secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman at Golden temple in India)

India : Pakistan interior secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman today visited the Golden Temple here responding to a "divine call" and said he prayed for the betterment of India-Pakistan relations.

Zaman, who crossed into India through the Attari-Wagah border to attend the two-day India-Pakistan Home Secretary-level talks beginning in Delhi tomorrow, visited the holiest Sikh shrine when his flight from Amritsar to the national capital got delayed.

"It was a very unexpected opportunity we got because of the delay of the flight and that was something... 'jo hum kehte bulawa aaya tha...' (what we say a divine call)," he said on reaching the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

The Pakistan interior secretary said he prayed for better relations between India and Pakistan.

"Hum wahan behtarin taluqat ke liye dua mangey (I prayed for better ties)," Zaman, who wore a blue head gear while visiting the 16th century temple, said. He was accompanied by other Pakistani delegation members.

He told reporters here, "Pakistan Government would not allow anybody to take forcible possession of land belonging to Gurdwaras in Lahore."

He also said land belonging to Sikh religious places will not be allowed to be sold in his country.

Zaman was responding to a question on a controversy over construction of a plaza on a land belonging to 400-year-old Deewan Khana Gurudwara in Lahore.

On his visit to the temple, he said, "There was no schedule to go anywhere in India after reaching here, since I had to rush to Delhi. I am in India exclusively to attend the two-day meeting with my Indian counterpart G K Pillai.

"But, I don't know, how a miracle happened and the plan which was scheduled to take me to Delhi got late by half-an-hour and destiny brought me to the Golden Temple."

Zaman said, "My forefathers including my grandfather often told me about the spiritual significance of the Golden Temple and talked regularly about this spiritual place, which had created a strong desire in the deepest core of my heart to have a glimpse of this pious place and today I feel my spiritual mission has been accomplished."

Talking about the World Cup Cricket, he said, "Cricket fever is prevailing on both sides and people of India and Pakistan always love to watch a match between the two countries."

No place for Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan

By Rajan Khanna
Thursday, March 24, 2011

(Photo : The Islamic State of Pakistan)

Islamabad : The assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, minister for minority affairs of Pakistan, has posed a few questions for the world community. The persecution of minorities in that country is unabated and calls for immediate intervention from the world powers. A couple of months ago, Salman Taseer, governor of the Pakistani Punjab State was also murdered - for his liberal views against the stringent blasphemy law - in broad daylight. More unfortunate aspect of Salman’s murder is: his bodyguard, who killed him, is showered with flower petals by the onlookers, whenever he is brought to the court for hearings.

The draconian blasphemy law has been invariably being used to suppress and blackmail the minorities in Pakistan. Shahbaz Bhatti, who was a Christian and one of the most vocal critics of the said law, had been receiving threats from the ultras for quite some time but valiantly kept on defying the diktats of the extremists; but eventually, he had to pay the price of his fighting for the rights of the minorities of his country, with his life.

The suppression of minorities in Pakistan is not a new phenomenon; it started immediately after the state of Pakistan was created. Although, the creator of that country, Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared in the first session of the Constituent Assembly that he wanted the country to become a secular state, yet, the successive military and civilian regimes of that country could not give secular character to the political system.

(Photo : Mostly unknown to the outside world, Pakistan is home to Four million Hindus)

Hindus in the states of Sindh and Balochistan are incessantly being persecuted and their lives, property and dignity are constantly threatened by the zealots.

 (Photo : Inside Sadh Belo a prominent Hindu temple in Sindh, Pakistan)

The state of Sindh, in the aftermath of the partition of the country, used to have a sizeable population of Hindus, but due to the religious persecution, the community has been reduced to very small numbers in the said state; most of it has been migrating either to India or has been forcibly converted. Every now and then, the community faces the attacks of the religious bigots and lives under the constant threat of terror.

 (Photo : BBC NEWS  In pictures  Hindus in Balochistan state of Pakistan)

Recently, a group of Hindus coming back from the famous historical shrine of Hinglaj Devi in Balochistan, was waylaid and murdered. The unfortunate fact is, the authorities remain mute spectators and as the reports trickle in, many a times tacitly support the attacks on the community.

The intolerance of the Pakistani state is not restricted to the minorities belonging to the other faiths only; even the Ahamadiyas - actually a sect belonging to the majority community of Pakistan - are not allowed to live in peace and are constantly being harassed. Their story of woes started with General Zia ul Haq - the erstwhile military dictator of Pakistan - declaring them non-Muslims, in the decade of seventies. Intermittent attacks by the armed extremist groups on the hapless Ahamadiyas keep on taking place in that country and the successive governments have miserably failed in providing any protection to the said community.

The ugly face of the religious persecution was seen again in the Ourkazai tribal agency of the NWFP of Pakistan. The members of the Sikh community were issued notices to pay Zaziya or face death by the Talibani militia. Although, the threats were coming thick and large for quite some time, yet, the government did nothing to save the lives and the property of those Sikh masses, who opted to stay back - at the soil of their birth and their forefathers - in the aftermath of the partition of the country. Many innocent Sikh lives were taken by the religious zealots and the rest of Pakistan and the world community kept on watching the massacre as mute spectators.

The Christian minority, which is largely scattered in the Punjab province of Pakistan, is on the receiving end of the constant attacks by the extremist groups. Whenever any incident which is considered to be provocative - by the fundamentalists of Pakistan - occurs in any western country, the Churches and the houses of the Christian minority become targets of the radical forces.

Late Shahbaz Bhatti, who was a vociferous critic of some of the provisions of the Blasphemy law, was a dominant voice of the Christian community of Pakistan; his assassination should not only be condemned unequivocally by the world leaders, pressure should be brought on the Pakistani regime to protect the lives, property, dignity and the institutions of various minorities living in that country.

(Photo : Hindu migrants from Pakistan in Jalandhar (India) show their Pakistani passports)

The complicity of the government of Pakistan and its agencies like ISI - in attacks on the minorities - is glaringly evident, therefore, trade embargoes against the state which has been sponsoring terrorism from the very first day of its creation, should be brought and the UN should depute the emissaries of UNHRC in Pakistan to safeguard the lives and the properties of the terrorised minorities.

Sikhs protest against plaza construction on gurdwara land in Pakistan

By Dr.radhe Shyam Kumar (Executive Editor)
Thursday, March 24, 2011

(Photo : Map of Lahore city in Punjab state in Pakistan)

Lahore, Mar 24 : Sikhs in Pakistan will stage a protest in Lahore on Friday over the construction of a plaza on gurdwara land.

They will stage a sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly for two hours against the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) administration, Sikh leaders told The Express Tribune.

Former Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Perbandhak Committee (PSGPC) President Sardar Bishon Singh said that if the government failed to stop the construction of a plaza over Gurdwara Deewan Khana, Indian Sikhs would join their protest and send delegations to Pakistan to record their disapproval.

He said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had met an Indian Sikh delegation led by Shiromani Gurdwara Perbandhak Committee (SGPC) representative Sardar Swinder Singh Doblia on November 27, 2010, and then told the ETPB to stop the construction of the plaza on the land.

The EPTB had complied with the order at that time, but a part of the gurdwara was demolished and the construction was resumed on March 19, he added.

Singh pointed out that if religious sites were not protected in the country, it would be a violation of the Constitution besides being an international embarrassment for Pakistan.

Meanwhile, EPTB chairman Asif Hashmi said that the deal to build a plaza on the gurdwara land had been struck with the nine tenants, who had temporary shops near the gurdwara for many years, before he took office.

He admitted that the site had religious significance for the Sikh community, adding that he would cancel the deal between the tenants and his department and return the amounts paid by the tenants as part of the deal.

Sikhs seek compensation for terror losses in Pakistan, But No Hindus ?

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Friday, February 11, 2011

(Photo : Deserted Sikh Gurdawara in Abbottabad, NWFP or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa State of Pakistan)

Islamabad : Sikhs in Pakistan's Orakzai Agency bordering Afghanistan have asked the government to compensate the community for the huge losses inflicted on them by terrorists. 

A group of Sikh leaders said that terrorists had burnt 26 houses, 18 shops and some factories of their community, Dawn reported Monday. The leaders included Parjeet Singh, Mahan Singh, Siren Singh and Dilbar Singh.

Sikhs were forced to pay Jazia - tax levied on non-Muslims - totalling Rs.6 million to the guerrillas. But they were still forced to leave their homes following a steep increase in militant activities.

Orakzai Agency is in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the northwest of Pakistan that bore the brunt of terror attacks.

The Pakistan Army battled the Taliban in the mountainous region, and the rebels were evicted from many areas after fierce fighting.

The majority of the displaced Sikhs have returned to their original areas but are leading a miserable life as they have lost their properties.

They have asked the government to compensate them.

Local official Riaz Mahsud said the administration had assessed the losses of Sikhs and forwarded the report to higher authorities.

India had in 2009 taken up the issue of treatment of minorities with Islamabad after the Taliban persecuted Sikhs in parts of Pakistan.

Militants had then demolished the homes of Sikhs in Orakzai region after they failed to pay Jazia. Over 35 Sikh families have lived in Ferozkhel in Orakzai Agency for decades.

The Taliban had also occupied two shops and three homes of Sikhs.

 (Photo : Hindu women's celebrating Lord Ramnavami or Bhagvan Ramchandra birthday in Peshawar City of NWFP, Pakistan)

Note from Editorial : Peshawar the capital of NWFP derives its name from a Sanskrit word Pushpapura, meaning the city of flowers. Peshawar is old, so old that its origins are lost in antiquity. Founded over 2,000 years ago by the Kushan Kings of Gandhara, it has had almost as many names as rulers.

In the 9th century the provincial capital was shifted by the Hindu Shahi kings to Hund on the Indus. After the invasion of Mahmood of Ghazni, all traces of gentle, artistic Gandhara were lost.

Historically in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa State (NWFP) or FATA Hindus have being living for centuries alone with various ethnics like Pashtuns and Hazara Muslims community with peace and harmony.Many of the old Hindu Peshawaris still wear their traditional Pathani kurta pyjamas and Pathani kulla turban. But since 9/11 in America things have changed here, Recently alone with many other communities Hindu community have also gone throw lot of persecution by extremist Taliban and also during war against terrorism led by Pakistani Army backed by western powers. Many poor Hindu families have either taken shelter/refugee in Peshawar Gurdwara (Sikh temples) or rich Hindus have opted for India.

Atrocities on Minority Hindus in Peshawar, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan
http://www.petitiononline.com/taxila01/

Rajesh Kumar (PHP Islamabad) : Among minorities, Sikhs and Christians groups have backup with government establishment and even International Sikhs charity groups from Canada,USA and UK are helping local Sikhs groups in Pakistan. But unfortunately no International Hindu charity organization has ever cared for Hindus in NWFP or mostly rest of Pakistan.

A.Randhawa (PHP NWFP) : These discrimination against Hindus and with no active functional Hindu Charity organization has encouraged many poor persecuted Hindus to either convert to Islam, Christianity or Sikhism or run toward secular India for survival.

Dayal Kakkar (PHP Peshawar) : During Talibanzation period many Hindus have migrated to India from FATA and NWFP areas and some have taken refugee in historical Sikh Gurdwaras or Temples in Peshawar City alone, where they have or are in process of converting day-by-day into Sikhism. Lack of unity among various fractional Hindus group like Balmiki samaj, Schedule Caste or Upper Caste has also led us in Delusion.

Ramesh Kumar (PHP Director) : Hindus need to be united and should equally demand for rights or compensation from Pakistan government in similar to Sikhs community or any other persecuted community in Pakistan. We will raise the issue in upcoming workshop in Islamabad soon held by HRF/SCRM of Pakistan.

Gopinath K.Rajput (Executive Editor) : In Pakistan mostly Christian and Sikhs missionary are active from beside of Muslims charity organizations, So Hindus are left with no option either migrate to India or some other safe places or just denounce there faith for charity help. International Hindu groups should come forward to show solidarity with small but very crucial Hindu community in north western Pakistan.

NOTE : PHP is presently connected to various Hindu groups in Peshawar and rest of NWFP. If any one has any question, comment or wants to contribute in any way is welcome to contact as (namastepakistan@gmail.com)

The PHP Team

International Minorities Alliance demands Pakistan to be run according to the vision of its founder, Pakistan

By Amarnath R. (PHP Lahore)
Monday, January 31, 2011

(Photo : International Minorities Conference III in Lahore, Pakistan)

Islamabad : International Minorities’ Conference 2011 was organized by International Minorities Alliance on “Equal Citizenship, Equal Rights” at Avari Hotel, Lahore, Pakistan on Jan 23, 2011.

The historical Conference was presided over by a renowned poet and intellectual Mr. Nazir Qaiser while Ms. Shakila Rashid Khanam, former Federal Minister, ambassador to the Norway and member of the Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Peoples Party and Chairman of NPCIH Allama Syed Ayaz Zahir Hashmi were the Chief Guests.Delegates representing different religions i.e Christians, Sikhs, Zorasters, Hindus, Bahai’s and Muslims participated from all the four provinces of Pakistan and abroad.

Call to speed up Pakistan’s interfaith dialogue:

National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony(NPCIH) Chairman Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, Nazir Qaiser(Chairman International Minorities Alliance), Shakeela Khanum Rasheed(MNA, PPP) , The Bishop of Karachi Dr Ijaz Inayat, Dr Hizkiul Sarosh, Bishop Ibrahim Daniel, Dr. Badar Munir Saifi(President Ulma Mashaik Wing PPP,Lhr), Martan Javed Martan, Ilyas A Khan, Om Parkash Narayan, Dr. Mastaan Singh, Muhammad Safdar(General Secretary Liberal Forum,Lhr), Ilyas A Khan(President Pakistan Minorities Foundation)Raja Abbas(President Civil Society Organization), Rafiq Kazim Paseen(Sr Vice President PPP, Kot Radhakishan), Dr Manohar Chand( President Pakistan Balmik Sabha), Dr Maipal Singh and Dr Khalid Javed Jan expressed these views while addressing an international minority conference held under the auspices of International Minority Alliance at a local hotel on Sunday (January 23).

The speakers urged to launch a campaign at grass root level to reform the thinking and attitude of various segments of the society in a bid to promote peace and harmony between the majority and minority of the country.

They said minorities had played key role in creating Pakistan shoulder-to-shoulder with their Muslim brethren but it was astonishing that there was acknowledgement to these efforts at present and minorities suffer from discrimination and marginalisation.

They said that the persons who raised their voice for the minorities were silenced and it was high time to get united at a single platform to protect the rights of the minorities with the message of love, peace and tranquillity. The speakers while appreciating the role of the prime minister and president for carrying out efforts to promote interfaith dialogue, they stressed the need for further speeding up the process in order to counter the insane voices to bring complete peace in the country.

Alleging some groups without naming them for killing innocent people, they warned that it would be tantamount to set a dangerous trend if it was not stopped at this moment.

Syed Allama Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, PM’s advisor on National Committee for Peace and Harmony said that it was responsibility of Ulema, intellectuals and the media to support the concept of interfaith dialogue which opens doors for presenting the message of Islam to the non-Muslims communities. Allama also elaborated his plans to promote interfaith harmony through educated force from the universities and civil society.

Speaking on the occasion, NPCIH Chairman Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, the chief Guest said that PPP came to power at a difficult time but it is trying its best to pull the country out of present crisis under the sagious leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari.


Allama also said, “ The address of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that he delivered in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 must be included as a part of the constitution of Pakistan and the biased Objective Resolution which was passed in 1949 must be excluded from the constitution. State affairs must be run according to the vision of its founder which provides equal opportunity to all Pakistanis without any distinction of religion, caste or creed. Pakistan must be run according to the vision of the father of the nation.

“On the behalf of the prime minister,I want to assure you of my government’s full support to the rights of all religious minorities in Pakistan” he added.

Appeal to save Hindus and Sikhs from extinction in Pakistan

By Dr.Radhe Shyam Kumar (Executive Editor)
Sunday, January 23, 2011

Photo : 2009 From left Arish Sahani (VP-IAIF), Satya Nemana (HHRW), Jeevan Zutshi (IKF), Deepak Ganju (Shehjar), and Narain Kataria (President-IAIF)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Katarian@aol.com
Date: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE APPEAL TO SAVE HINDUS AND SIKHS FROM EXTINCTION IN
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

17/01/2011 15:37:03 INDIAN AMERICAN INTELLECTUALS FORUM - PRESS RELEASE

We are appalled and horrified to know that over one hundred Hindu families (about 500 people) in Pakistan ’s Balochistan province are making frantic efforts to seek political asylum in India after becoming the target of a campaign of vilification, demonization, kidnapping and extortion by Jihadists supported by Pakistan ’s spy agency ISI.

Over the last 5 years, more than 5,000 Hindus have already moved from Pakistan ’s Sind province to Rajasthan , India . Their tattered clothes, emotionless faces and vacuous eyes tell their dismal tale. Most of these Hindus refugees look like zombies.

Although no figures are made available, anecdotal evidence and human rights groups say that persecution and conversion of Hindus and Sikhs have risen in the last two years, with temples and gurudwaras being desecrated and worshippers being attacked.

According to Basant Lal Gulshan, Balochistan’s Minorities Affair Minister “forty-one Hindus were abducted during the past three years and four more were killed when they resisted kidnapping attempts.

In the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Talibans have warned Hindu men to grow beard and Hindu women to wear burqa in order to avoid being beaten or fined by Lashkar extremists.

Last year, Islamic militants directed Sikh community in the NWFP either to convert to Islam, leave the land of their forefathers or pay 12 million rupees ($140,000) jizya – the medieval tax levied on non-Muslims in Islamic state.

‘DNA” reported in its issue of May 28, 2010 that over 50 Pakistani Hindus have converted to Islam in the Sialkot district of Punjab within a week (between May 14 and May 19) under pressure from their Muslim employers in a bid to retain their jobs and survive in the Muslim-dominated society.

Hindu women are raped. Men are harassed, beaten up or slain, and children are abducted. Harassment and torture of minorities – Hindus and Christians - in Pakistan is going on unabated. In the latest matter, a Hindu girl near Karachi, Pakistan, was abducted, forcefully converted to Islam and kept in a Muslim mosque in Pakistan. It is the Taliban effect.

At the time of Partition of India in 1947, there were somewhere between 20 to 24% Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan . They were forced to convert to Islam or leave the country. In the last 63 years Hindus and Sikhs have been ethnically cleansed from Pakistan .

It is not only Hindus and Sikhs who suffer indignity and humiliation; Christians are also treated like criminals, and charges of blasphemy are leveled against them on the flimsiest of excuses.

In March, 2010, Dr. Manjit Singh Randhawa, President of Sikh Nation Organisation, had appealed to the United Nations against forced conversion and racial discrimination of minorities (Hindus and Sikhs) to prevail upon Pakistan to repeal the 'Nizam-e-Adl 2009 Regulation' that has "legitimized and legalized tyranny" by 'Taliban', in complete disregard to its international commitments under various UN Conventions, to safeguard Human Rights of its citizens within international borders of Pakistan.

Jihadists in collaboration with Pakistan military have radicalized Pakistani society in the most dangerous manner. In a show of strength, on January 9, 2011, over 40,000 Islamists gathered in the streets in Karachi , the capital of Sind province in Pakistan , under the banner of Tahaffauz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat which is a conglomerate of religious parties opposed to amendments of the country's blasphemy laws. They showed support in favor of Mumtaz Quadri, the assassin of Governor of Punjab , Salman Taseer, and showered him with rose petals. Speakers at the meeting openly threatened to kill anyone supporting blasphemy law while 3,000 police officers watched them helplessly. Mumtaz Quadri was promised legal help by 200 lawyers. For more information on this you may contact Gopinath Kumar, Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Hindu Post at http://pakistanhindupost.blogspot.com/.

Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan are facing an uncertain future. Their plight is miserable. They live in fear of abduction for ransom, armed robberies and murder.

Under the circumstances, we appeal to the governments of India , the USA , the United Nations, and all global human rights groups to stop egregious human rights violations and rescue these hapless Hindus, Sikhs and Christians from the jaws of death as soon as possible.

Narain Kataria

President

Cc:

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
Hon. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, Washington
Hon. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Hon. Meera Shankar, Ambassader, Embassy of India , Washington , for necessary action as deemed fit
Hon. Prabhu Dayal, Consul General of India in New York , for necessary action as deemed fit.
Hon. Faqir Syed Asif Hussain, Consul General of Pakistan , New York , for necessary action as deemed fit.

Sikhs get new cremation ground in Nowshera, Pakistan

By A Muhammad
Sunday, January 23, 2011

(Photo : Map of Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan)

Peshawar : A new ''shamshan ghat'' (cremation ground) for the minority Sikh community in northwest Pakistan was inaugurated by a provincial minister today.

The shamshan ghat was built at a cost of Rs 12 lakh on the banks of the Kabul river at Khaiarabad in Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Senior Minister Bashir Bilour, a top leader of the Awami National Party, inaugurated the facility.

Legislator Asif Bhatti, a Christian, contributed Rs 7 lakh for the project while the Senior Minister provided Rs 5 lakh.

Several legislators representing minority communities and elders of the Sikh community attended the inauguration ceremony.

The Sikhs expressed their appreciation for the construction of the facility.

They said it would be used by Sikhs spread across northwest Pakistan, including 2,200 families living in Peshawar.

Senior Minister Bilour, in his address, eulogised the services of the minority communities in the development of Pakistan.

"The minorities always supported their country in times of need and at critical junctures," he said.

The provincial government holds the minorities in high esteem and considers the protection of their religious rights and other interests a moral and religious obligation, he said.

Bilour directed officials of the local municipal administration to ensure the proper security and cleanliness of the shamshan ghat.

Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs condemn demolition of Hindu temple in Rawalpindi

By Editorial Staff
Tuesday, Augest 31, 2010

(Photo : Old Hindu Temple in Rawalpindi )

Rawalpindi  : Pakistan's Hindu and Sikh communities have condemned the demolition of
a pre-partition 87-year-old Hindu temple by its owner in Rawalpindi's
Bhabra Bazaar.

The temple on Tipu Road, opposite the Rawalpindi Medical College, was
being used by Hindus and Sikhs in the city to perform last rituals of
their dear ones.

According to the plaque fixed on the building, Lala Tansukh Rai, the
Raees-e-Azam Rawalpindi, had constructed the temple in memory of his
wife in 1923.

The Pakistan Hindu Sikh Social Welfare Council said that the Auqaf
Department, an autonomous body of the Provincial Government, was bound
to save the temple, and it is their duty to protect the buildings
related to the minorities, The News reports.

They have also appealed to the government to direct the Auqaf
Department to take action against demolition of temples in future.

--ANI

Forced Conversions and Racial Discrimination in Pak: Sikhs protest UN inaction

By Purostam Sign, NYC
Tuesday, July 6, 2010

(PHOTO : Pakistani Sikh cadet in army)

PATIALA : Sikhs held protests, against United Nations’ inaction to stop continued forced conversion of minorities to Islam and grave abuse of human rights of minorities and women in Pakistan, to coincide with International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, at Patiala near Dukhniwaran and Singh Sabha Gurudwaras, Monday.

Dr. Manjit Singh Randhawa, President of Sikh Nation Organisation, said that Sikhs appealed to the international community to prevail upon Pakistan to repeal the 'Nizam-e-Adl 2009 Regulation' that has “legitimized and legalized tyranny” by ‘Taliban’, in complete disregard to its international commitments under various UN Conventions, to safeguard Human Rights of its citizens within international borders of Pakistan.

He maintained that without repealing the Regulation it was impossible to save lives, property and Shrines of Minority Sikh and Hindu Communities in Swat Valley and North West Frontier Province in Pakistan that has been placed under ‘Taliban Rule’ by repealing all Pak Laws to maintain law and order.

The Regulation has taken away Human Rights of Women and female Children, whose freedom of conscience has been put to unreasonable restrictions and are subjected to honour killings, whipping, torture, degrading treatment and punishment in Swat Valley and adjoining province, in a country signatory to U.N. Conventions on Human Rights, he added.

Sikhs also appealed the international community to support their demand for ‘Vatican’ like status to ‘Nanakana’ Sahib along with eighteen thousand acres property of the shrine, to develop a “fear free abode for humanity”, without which “personal freedom” and “dignified survival” of Sikhs, Hindus, Christian and other Minority Communities seemed impossible.

They shamed United Nations Human Rights system for its "observed silence" on systematic and undeterred persecution of minorities that stood reduced to negligible level in Pakistan, as a result of “forced conversions, killings and migration” in the Islamic country that is signatory to various U.N. Conventions on Human and Minority Rights and Conservation of diverse Cultural and Religious World Heritage of Humanity.

Afghan Hindus and Sikhs grapple with uncertain future

By Dr.Radhe Shyam Kumar (PHP Mangang Editor)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010

(JALALABAD Apr 12, 2009: Afghan Hindus and Sikhs commemorate the 311th birthday of their religious leader inside their temple in the eastern Nangarhar on Sunday. PAJHWOK/Abdul Moheed Hashemi)

KABUL (Reuters) - They thrived long before the arrival of Islam in the seventh century and for a long time dominated the country's economy, but Sikh and Hindu Afghans now find themselves struggling for survival.

"We have no shelter, no land and no authority," says Awtar Singh, a senator and the only non-Muslim voice in Afghanistan's parliament.

"No one in the government listens to us, but we have to be patient, because we have no other options," says Singh, 47.

In a brief idyll in 1992, after the fall of the Moscow backed-government but before civil war erupted, there were around 200,000 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan compared with around just a few thousand today.

When warring factions fought over Kabul, razing entire neighborhoods in deadly rocket barrages, the two communities became targets partly because of their religion, but also because they didn't have a militia of their own for protection.

Armed men stormed a temple in Kabul and tore a religious book to avenge the destruction of a mosque by fanatic Hindus in India. After complaining of extortion, intimidation, kidnappings, theft and even rape, those with the means fled to India where they live as aliens and require visas, like other foreigners.

Ironically the rise to power of the hard-line Islamist Taliban marked an improvement in the lives of those who remained -- and some emigres even started to return.

"The Taliban did not suppress us -- they respected our religion and if we had any problem they would resolve it immediately, let alone delay it until the next day," says Singh.

Some Afghan Hindus were baffled by Western outrage at one Taliban decree -- ordering them to wear a yellow tag to identify their religion -- saying in practical terms it spared their clean-shaven faces from the wrath of the Taliban religious police, who insisted Muslim Afghan men must grow beards.

The Sikhs escaped scrutiny because they also grow their beards long.

Since the Taliban's fall, Afghanistan's new constitution promises religious minorities greater freedoms than before, but it is harder to ensure in practical terms.

Hindus and Sikhs had scores of properties stolen during the civil war and its aftermath and thousands of claims lie gathering dust in the arcane bureaucracy that makes up the government.

"I have my family still in India because I have lost my house and other properties," says Awtam Singh, who was an important trader in the old days but is now reduced to selling herbal medicines in a tiny Kabul shop.

"We feel ignored by this government," he laments.

While tens of thousands of Muslim Afghans have the same problems, they at least have politicians or leaders fighting their corner.

Some of the returning Hindus and Sikhs have brought their families and live mostly in secure areas such as Kabul and eastern city of Jalalabad, where they have temples and segregated schools.

Even after death, problems continue. Part of the land that Sikhs and Hindus use for the funeral pyres for their dead has been taken over by urban sprawl in Kabul.

"I can not see things getting better for us," said Awtam.

"The Indians say you belong to Afghanistan, and here we are seen as Indians. No government cares for us, he said.

(Editing by David Fox and Sanjeev Miglani)

Pakistani Minorities form Working Group for Human Rights Issues

By Dr. Radhe Shyam Kumar (PHP Managing Editor)
Sunday, June 20, 2010

(Photo : Pakistani Hindu during festival time in Sindh and according to Pakistan Hindu Council, there are about Five million Hindus in Pakistan. Nearly 4.5 million of them live in Sindh province. Most are from the low caste Dalit community. )

KARACHI : The representatives of Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Bahai, Ahmedi and Zoroastrian communities of Sindh formed on Saturday a working group on ‘Right of Communities Vulnerable Because of Their Belief’ during a meeting at a local hotel. The Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) would support the group.

The group will highlight human rights violations through fact finding reports, researches, issuing public statements and arranging press briefings and also to analyse the laws, practices and policies, which are discriminatory and would provide recommendations. The meeting also decided that the group will conduct capacity building programmes of the members of vulnerable communities and a mechanism of early warning signs to determine the tension involving minorities and would recommend appropriate actions.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the agenda of the newly formed group including the status of commission of minorities, countering advocacy of hatred based religious beliefs, discrimination being faced by the communities in services, education, family and property laws, constant threats and fear, blasphemy laws and property related issues. During the meeting the participants decided that the newly formed group would meet once in six months.

Addressing the meeting HRCP Director I A Rehman said that the group would address all the issues being faced by the communities and deal with the rights of these communities.

“Since the last several years, the living conditions of minorities has worsened and the communities have become extremely vulnerable as extremists and militants are inciting hatred,” he said, Amar Guriro

From Pillar To Post, By Kuldip Nayar

By Editorial Staff
Sunday, June 20, 2010

(PHOTO : Mr Kuldip Nayar)

Pakistan : GENERAL Ayub Khan, then at the helm of the Pakistan government, is believed to have told Soviet Union's Prime Minister Kosygin that if India were to come to a settlement with Sheikh Abdullah, head of the Jammu and Kashmir government at that time, Pakistan might accept the agreement. Kosygin was trying his best to span the distance between India and Pakistan, despite Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's doubts over the role of Russia, who had been supplying arms to Pakistan.

Soon after, the Sheikh was detained for nearly 12 years in South India. He had reportedly asked New Delhi to make the terms of the Instrument of Accession good. The state had given to the centre only three subjects -- defence, foreign affairs and communications.

Since then, the All Party Hurriyat Conference jumped into the arena. Its agenda goes far beyond the Sheikh or, for that matter, the ruling National Conference. Unfortunately, the Hurriyat has split into hardliners and moderates. Whatever its verdict on the government headed by Farooq Abdullah, the Sheikh's grandson, he has made the security forces accountable.

The suspension by the army of a major and removal of a colonel from service for their "role" in dubious encounters is not a small achievement. In fact, Farooq has ordered an inquiry into the fake encounters in the past and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on his recent visit to Srinagar, said that strict orders had been given to the security forces not to violate human rights.

Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said: "We expected the prime minister to start a bold political initiative on Kashmir but nothing of that sort has come through."

Obviously, the Hurriyat has not taken into account Dr. Manmohan Singh's message that the government was committed to push forward the process of negotiation. His was the first visit to Kashmir after he had met Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani at the Saarc summit in Bhutan.

The Indian prime minister wanted the Hurriyat to come on board before India held a series of ministerial-level meetings with Pakistan. It is naïve on the part of Mirwaiz to demand a public announcement on what the government has in view. A dialogue is the only way to hammer out differences. In the case of Kashmir, Pakistan is also a party.

True, Srinagar was shut and hundreds were on the street when the prime minister arrived there. But this is an exercise over which the Hurriyat has gone many a time before. People are tired. They see very little on the horizon. They have sacrificed nearly all that they had.

The span of 25 to 30 years, the hey days of Hurriyat, is not a small period to wait. It is nobody's case that the people's alienation in the valley has not disappeared, nor that the Hurriyat has ceased to count.

I think the failure of the Hurriyat is in having preferred bullet to ballot. They revolted when they, young and idealistic, witnessed the charade of an election in Kashmir in 1987.

Indeed, the polls were rigged. But going across the border, getting training and returning with weapons was the reaction of angry, helpless people. Violence, as some Hurriyat leaders have realised, was not an option that could have yielded results. Coming into conflict with the state, which is thousands of times stronger, was foolhardy. Believe me, I am not underestimating the sacrifices of people. Very few movements in the world have been so determined and so sustained.

The Hurriyat should have returned to the ballot box after the violent agitation it had launched gave diminishing returns. In violence, the people in India witnessed a forceful cessation of Kashmir, which is considered part of the country. The Hurriyat movement was seen as a challenge to the country's integrity.

The Hurriyat should have tried to capture the Jammu and Kashmir assembly. Instead, they propagated the boycott of elections. Their argument was that the polls under the aegis of the Indian Election Commission were not acceptable to them. They proposed supervision by the UN observers. No sovereign country could have accepted this.

Had the Hurriyat leaders demanded that the Indian human rights activists should be the observers, they might have had the consent of New Delhi. But would the Hurriyat have won? This uncertainty might have been the main reason for it not participating in elections, which have their own dynamics. Popular agitators are not normally put in the gaddi.

The Hurriyat's tilt towards Pakistan, probably necessitated by the situation in which they were, has distanced it from India. That the solution of Kashmir is not possible without Islamabad is understandable. But the Hurriyat did not have to play the Muslim card. It only created further doubts in the mind of the majority in India. After the exodus of most Hindu pandits from Kashmir, the valley has nearly 96% of Muslims.

But this is the Hurriyat's weakness, not the strength. Not having the support of the Hindu-majority Jammu and the Buddhist- majority Ladakh, the Hurriyat has forfeited the right to speak for the entire state. It should have at least wooed the Kashmir pandits, many still in camps, to return to their homes. Some Hurriyat leaders have realised this a bit late. But the party as such still cannot pursue the matter wholeheartedly because a few among them do not want Hindus back till the Kashmir solution is finally settled.

Even in its demand, the Hurriyat has been equivocal. It has oscillated between autonomy and independence. Realising that Pakistan is equally opposed to independence, as India is, the Hurriyat wants a solution that is acceptable to the people of Kashmir. But that has not been spelled out.

The fact that Jammu and Ladakh are nowhere in the picture means that the Hurriyat's demand is only for the valley. This brings the Hurriyat in conflict with what Manmohan Singh has said many a time, that he has no mandate to change the borders. Even otherwise, the Indian nation would not accept another partition on the basis of religion.

After the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, the scenario in the region from Afghanistan to India has changed beyond proportions. America and Pakistan on one hand and India and Pakistan on the other are trying to come to terms with new developments. Kashmir too figures, but in the larger context.

The Hurriyat might do better if it were to confine the talks between Srinagar and Delhi till India and Pakistan reach a settlement on Kashmir. The Hurriyat should ask New Delhi first to restore the ante-1952 situation, where Srinagar gave it three subjects -- foreign affairs, defence and communications. It would be better than going from post to pillar.

Kuldip Nayar is an eminent Indian columnist.

HRCP forms working group on Minorities, Pakistan

Source Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
Monday, June 14, 2010

 (PHOTO : New Logo of HRCP)

KARACHI : In the backdrop of increasing attacks on communities across the country, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has constituted a working group on the rights of ‘Communities Vulnerable Because Of Their Belief’.

During a three-hour long meeting at a local hotel on Friday, the working group was formed which comprises HRCP members along with representatives of various minority communities, including Hindu, Christian, Zoroastrian, Ahmedi, Bahai and Sikh communities.

Presiding over the meeting, HRCP Sindh Chapter’s Vice President Ghazi Salauddin said that the group would not only highlight the problems being faced by vulnerable communities but also pave way for resolving the issues faced by them.

Speaking on the occasion, Director, HRCP, I.A.Rehman said that the extremists were inciting hatred due to which communities were being persecuted and discriminated against. “The militants do not tolerate those who do not share their beliefs and are sowing the seeds of sectarian violence.”

During the meeting, participants touched upon various issues and agenda which were laid by the commission including discrimination in services and education, family and personal law, property-related issues, role of the media while reporting on minorities, consideration of the status of the Commission for Minorities and preaching of hate messages. Meanwhile, it was decided that the group will meet at least once every six months whereas members are welcome to submit their complaints, suggestions and recommendations when the need arises.

Introduction : The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (Urdu: تنظیم حقوق انسانی پاکستان), or HRCP, is an independent, non-profit organization, founded in 1987, which is not associated or affiliated with the government or any political party. It is committed to act with impartiality and objectivity in all matters. Among its main aims are spreading awareness of human rights among the people, mobilising public opinion, collecting information and disseminating knowledge about human rights abuses, and to monitor and defend human rights in Pakistan.