ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of Pakistani Hindus on Friday protested and staged a sit-in in the Red Zone against the killings of 11 Pakistani Hindus in Jodhpur, India, in August this year, and demanded of New Delhi to launch an impartial probe into the matter, and take to task those involved in these deaths.

Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, the Patron-in-Chief of Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) and Member National Assembly (MNA) from the ruling party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led the protestors, who had gathered in the federal capital from across the country to launch their protest against India in front of the MOFA, outside the Diplomatic Enclave, where several foreign diplomatic missions, including Indian High Commission, are located.

Other prominent leaders from the Hindu community included Member Provincial Assembly (MPA), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Ravi Kumar also from the PTI, Mangla Sharma, MPA, Sindh, from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Naresh Chen from SEWA Foundation, Dr Harish Bakwani, Krishan Sagar, Gardep Sindh and others. The families of Jodhpur tragedy victims were also among the protestors.

Police, Rangers and Rescue 1122 personnel were deployed for the security of the protestors. The protestors demanded entry into the Diplomatic Enclave in order to stage a sit-in outside the Indian High Commission but the district administration did not initially allow them to enter diplomatic enclave due to security reasons.

Later, the protestors were allowed to enter Diplomatic Enclave to present a resolution at the Indian High Commission against the killings of Pakistani Hindus in India. The protestors then staged a sit-in and protested outside the Indian High Commission, which continued till the filing of this report on Friday night.

The 10-point resolution said Indian government had failed to protect the precious lives of Pakistani Hindu family. Therefore, the safety and security of other Pakistani nationals must be ensured, it said. It termed the denial of access to Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, a violation of international law.

It demanded of India to involve Pakistan for ensuring fair and transparent investigation of the Jodhpur tragedy. The resolution called for revoking Citizen Amendment Act in India. It also called for opening the case of Samjhota Express for providing justice to the innocent victims.

The resolution expressed solidarity with people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and demanded of India to end human rights violations there. The resolution termed the policies of Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, and "other extremist elements as against the real teachings of Hinduism."

It reiterated the love and respect of Pakistani Hindu citizens for their motherland. "These are pre-planned killings," Vankwani said, addressing the protestors, demanding of New Delhi to do justice with those involved in the killings.

"The blood of 11 Pakistani Hindus should not go unnoticed. We demand justice. We demand a fair probe," he said. The lawmaker said Indian intelligence agencies intimidate and pressurize those Pakistani Hindus who visit India to visit their religious sites or on any other pretext, and force them to speak against Pakistan.

"I was told by Indian media that the deaths of 11 Pakistani Hindus were suicides. This is just nonsense. When Indian agencies do not succeed, they resort to coercive and murderous methods like the one we have seen in Jodhpur," he said.

"India's claim that it is secular and tolerant state where people from different faiths mutually coexist is a farce, an eyewash, to deceive the world," he added. India must provide post mortem report and copy of First Information Report (FIR) of the incident to the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi immediately, Vankwani told the media.

Protest of the Hindu community will continue till acceptance of their demands, he added. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry also visited the site of protest, and supported their demand for an impartial probe into the killings of 11 Pakistani Hindus.

"Those who were killed in India were Pakistani citizens. They were our brothers and sisters. The blood of 11 innocent Pakistanis shall not go in vain," he said. "India's highly irresponsible and highhanded policies driven by Modi's extremist government have put the security of this entire region at stake. India has posed serious security threats for its neighbouring countries, not only for Pakistan but also for Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and China," he said.

On the occasion, the participants of the sit-in, chanted slogans against Indian Prime Minister Modi and his BJP government, and termed Modi a "fascist extremist ruler" and his government a "fascist extremist regime."

On August 9, 2020, some 11 members of an immigrant Pakistani Hindu family including women and children were found dead in Jodhpur, India, under highly mysterious circumstances, with Indian authorities allegedly having tried to hush up the matter. Earlier on Tuesday, Vankwani had announced to hold a sit-in the federal capital to seek justice over the killings of 11 Pakistani Hindus in India.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020