Stop forced conversions: Govt to Pakistan

New Delhi: The NDA government on Wednesday lashed out at Pakistan, asking it to “to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)” provinces and also “to end forced conversions and marriages of minorities, including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all cases”. New Delhi also asked Islamabad to “stop sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailias and Hazaras”.

The mention of the Balochistan, Sindh and KPK provinces by the Ind-ian government in a written reply to Parliament is significant, given allegations that Pakistan’s Punjab province grabs the lionshare of resources in that country at the cost of smaller provinces.

The MEA in a written reply on Wednesday, informed the Lok Sabha: “India has on several occasions highlighted the human rights violations in Pakistan, including at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. It has recommended to Pakistan, inter alia, to end forced conversions and marriages of minorities, including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all cases; to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killings, including those of journalists and activists, by its security agencies and prosecute perpetrators; to review the education curriculum, including in madrasas, to remove extreme prejudices, religious intolerance and historical distortions; to stop sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailias and Hazaras.”

The government also informed Parliament that over 8,000 Indian prisoners are currently lodged in foreign jails.

The MEA added, “The (Indian) government, from time-to-time, has come across reports of problems faced by members of the minority communities in Pakistan, including those of intimidation, abduction, persecution, forced conversions and forced marriages. It is the responsibility of the government of Pakistan to discharge its constitutional obligations towards its citizens, including those from the minority communities. Based on reports of atrocities on minorities in Pakistan, the government has, from time-to-time, taken up the matter with the government of Pakistan and asked it to take steps to protect and to promote the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities.”

Meanwhile, the Government also informed Parliament that over 8,000 Indian prisoners including undertrials are currently lodged in foreign jails”. The Government told the Lok Sabha that as per information provided to it, 8189 Indian prisoners are lodged in jails abroad. The statistics show that a large number of Indians are lodged in prisons in Gulf countries. For instance a whopping 1811 Indians are in Saudi jails while 1392 Indians are lodged in jails in the UAE. As many as 511 Indians are lodged in Kuwaiti jails. In neighbouring Nepal, as many as 1160 Indians are lodged in jails.