Rally condemns killing of Hindus

HYDERABAD: Civil society representatives took out a rally here on Monday calling for religious tolerance and against condemning extremism.

The rally was jointly organized by Joint Action Committee for Peace and Justice while the participants, who marched to Hyderabad Press Club, included representatives of 26 NGOs, leaders of Sindhi nationalist parties and their workers.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans like 'Sindh is a land of religious harmony' the participants condemned the recent killing of the Three Hindus in Shikarpur and demand punishment for those involved.

Addressing the gathering Dr Ashuthama, district president of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), highlighted the importance of inter-religious harmony which the people of Sindh had nurtured for centuries.

Ashuthama, however, was confident that the civil society of the province together with political parties and media would struggle against the violence and protect the minorities rights.

Amar Sindhu of Women Action Forum reiterated the need for concerted efforts to defeat tribalism, honour killings and violence directed against minorities in the province. Zulfiqar Shah of Institute for Social Movements (ISM) told APP that a sit-in would be organized in the Chak area of Shikarpur in the next few days in order to press the government for punishing the culprits and to express solidarity with the bereaved Hindu families.

Avinash Hari, president Minorities for Integrated Development (MID), said the Hindu community was being harassed and victimized through kidnappings, murders and forced convergence for the past many years.He asserted to restore confidence of the affected minorities by bringing the culprits to justice.

"The political leadership and the justice system of the country can make a beginning of that confidence restoring effort by giving an exemplary punishement to the killers of the 3 doctors," he suggested. (APP)