Islamabad: Parliamentarians from Pakistan`s minority communities on Tuesday complained of killing, robbery and harassment and demanded protection against such incidents.
Speaking in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament, lawmakers Darshan Punshi, Lal Chand and Manwar Lal highlighted several incidents of discrimination with members of the minority Hindu community at Mirpur Khas, Shahdad Kot and Mirpur Mathelo in southern Sindh province.
They demanded that the government should take action against those responsible for such incidents.
Darshan was the first lawmaker to raise the issue in the House and referred to the case of one Gul Bahar Shah, a minority citizen of Mirpur Mathelo, who was forced to vacate his house.
The PML-N lawmaker said Shah was displaced from his house, which was occupied by some influential persons of the area, and demanded an inquiry into the incident.
He also mentioned another incident at Shahdad Kot, where the house of a member of the Hindu community was robbed and a child was shot though no culprit was arrested for the crimes.
Lal Chand, a Pakistan People`s Party parliamentarian, informed the House about the murder of a member of a minority community and said that the alleged murderer, Feroz Khan, was free and police had not arrested him despite his identification.
He also referred to incidents of robbery and theft and the snatching of ornaments from women of a minority community and demanded that the Sindh government should be asked to take action in such matters.
Manwar Lal raised the issue of the Balmik temple in Lahore and claimed its income was being usurped by an official of the Evacuee Trust Property Board.
He described the official as a member of a "mafia", which was forcing the shrine`s `pandit` to surrender his right to receive income from shops located in the temple complex.
The lawmakers urged the federal government to consider the "rising sense of insecurity" among the minority communities.
PTI
