Jacobabad Hindus not migrating to India, says Jhakrani

KARACHI: Terming migration of Hindu families over alleged law and order issue from Jacobabad as hype created by the media, the central leader of PPP and MNA Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani at a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Friday categorically dispelled an impression that Hindu families migrated due to security concerns, saying it was religious gathering 'Yatra' that prompted their migration from all over Pakistan.

MNA Jakhrani, however, did not give a definite answer when a journalist asked whether those went for pilgrimage (religious festival) in India would return. He maintained that the news going rounds in media that Hindu communities were fleeing the country over security concerns was totally unfounded and baseless.

"Muslims also go for pilgrimage to Saudia Arabia, similarly Hindus also mark their religious festivals at their respective worship places. This issue is solely raised to defame PPP," he told a news conference at Karachi Press Club.

Flanked by Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Minorities Minister Mohan Lal and Hindu Panchayat Council leaders, Mr Jakharani said a total of 247 had gone for Yatra in India of them only 20 belonged to Jacobabad while rest of them were from other parts of the country.

"We asked the Interior ministry officials to let them (Yatris) go and don't stop them for practicing their religious and its festivals," he said, adding at least four to five million Hindus were living in the country who had been given all their rights and freedom to practice their religion.

He denied that Jacobabad had any law and order problem, though he admitted that individual migration might take place but a reported mass exodus in media was never a reality.

He said law and order issue was everywhere in the country and people belonging to other communities, mainly Muslims, were also targeted.

Jakharani said Hindu community was the beauty of Sindh, particularly Jacoabad, and government could never tolerate maltreatment of them.

Mukesh Kumar Chawla said another convoy of 100 people was also leaving for Yatra from Kashmore to Hindustan and such activities take place every now and then. "I am arranging a meeting of Hindu Panchayat with Chief Minister in Larkana and a visit to Jacoabad," he told.

A leader of Hindu Panchayat, Babu Mahesh, said killings of prominent hindu people including Dr. Amarnath in Jacoabad caused security concerns among them. He said he was not sure whether those gone for pilgrimage would return. "This is our motherland and we would not leave it," he said.

Another Panchayat leader said 40,000 Hindus were living in Jacobabad and 70 percent of local business controlled by them.