Religious minorities do not feel safe in Pakistan

Pakistan's government may portray itself as the saviour of minorities and patt its back before the international community, but the reality is contrary to the hefty claims made by it with the continuous reports trickling from across the border about the atrocities being committed on minority communities especially Sikhs and Hindus.

Their young daughters are being abducted, forcefully converted to Islam and married to Muslim men, often elder ones, besides people of minority community being implicated in blasphemy cases often to settle personal scores with government agencies only providing supporting the majority Muslims.

The condition of Sikhs are not far different from other minority communities even as Pakistan government claims to have given them equal rights in the society and have also 'planted' some of the Sikh faces in its defence forces as well as in administration but Pakistan government is indirectly managing the Sikh shrines and taking a significant decision on their behalf.

More recently, while taking away the rights of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, Pakistan has formed a Project Management Unit Kartarpur Sahib to manage the recently opened Kartarpur corridor and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

A prominent Sikh of Pakistan who didn't wish to give his name for obvious reasons said that Pakistan has allowed forming Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, have Anand Marriage Act but all these institutions were namesake while the real power rests with the Pakistan government's various departments including Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

"This is the question which the media should ask the Pakistan government, at least one thousand young teenage Hindu girls are being forcibly converted in Pakistan every year," he said.

He said it was the prime minister Imran Khan who, when in opposition, used to take up the cause of Hindus during his political speeches but he is mum on these issues these days.

"They are ignoring Hindus and Sikhs here but giving importance to temples and buildings which is not right," he said.

Talking about the minority community politicians, he revealed that any politician from minority community is given a seat from the minority quota depending upon the donations and the funds given by the said person to the political party.

Sikh, Hindu and Christian Member National Assembly or Member Provincial Assembly were the ones who were sycophants of a particular political party and gives them huge funds to remain in politics.

The real issue is to provide safety and security to the minority communities of Pakistan, stopping forced conversion of Hindu and Sikh girls, stopping the hate speech, removing the content from the textbooks and not opening the temples. "There is no recognition for the communities," he observed.

Pakistan government has also passed the Sikh marriage Act but it is for namesake only. Sikhs of Pakistan are of the view that their independence is if a Sikh Gurdwara gives permission to a non-Sikh to marry Sikh which will be the community's decision.

In past, a daughter of Granthi of Nankana Sahib was abducted and she couldn't be recovered for long, similarly, cousin's sister of a controversial Sikh leader of Nankana Sahib was also abducted and married to a Muslim man. The girl had to stay in the Dar ul Aman for over a year but only to be sent with her Muslim husband by the court.

"This is the reason we Sikhs and Hindus don't want to send our girls to colleges, anyone can raise a finger towards the girl and say that she wants to embrace Islam and then not only the Muslim community but the whole state machinery and forced groups join hands to convert her, she is abducted, taken to Dar ul Aman where she is brainwashed and then she is made to give a statement which suits to her abductors who got scot-free in the majority of cases," said the Sikh leader.