A practising lawyer in the Supreme Court has written a letter to the National Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, seeking directions to the Imran Khan-led government to protect Hindu temples in the country from further desecration and rebuild those destroyed.
Taking suo motu cognisance of various reports in media regarding vandalising of Hindu temples and idols of Hindu Gods in Pakistan, Advocate Vineet Jindal said in the letter that on August 4, in Punjab Province of Pakistan’s Rahim Yar Khan District, hundreds of people carrying sticks, stones and bricks attacked a Hindu Temple and destroyed the Hindu Idols there. Similarly in December, 2020, an angry mob demolished a Hindu temple in Karak District of Pakistan.
“The Hindus residing in Pakistan cannot exercise their religious beliefs and even fear for their life. Since the Hindu community has been given a minority tag, the Constitution of Pakistan, in Article 25 (1), guarantees “All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.” Article 5 provides “adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures”; Article 33 declares that it is the state’s responsibility to discourage parochial, racial, tribal, sectarian, and provincial prejudices among citizens,” mentioned the letter, addressed to Hina Jilani, Chairperson of Pakistan HRC.
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It said, “Even Article 20 of the Constitution which enshrines every citizen’s “right to profess, practice and propagate his religion” and that “every religious denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain
and manage its religious institutions”, is “subject to law, public order and morality,” therefore the Constitution of Pakistan has given right to every citizen, including minorities, to practice religion with dignity and maintain and manage its religious institutions.
“The Constitution of a country depicts its principles that how the citizens of a country will live their life, the rights and duties of the citizen of a country and therefore, the governments are duty bound to protect their Constitutional rights,”
-added the lawyer.
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He said for the last many years, gross violation of human rights of minorities in Pakistan had been reported and Pakistan has been repeatedly slammed by the international community for not taking stringent measures to protect its minority communities. The Advocate demanded from Pak HRC:
a) Direction to the Government of Pakistan to depute at least two police personnel at every Hindu temple in Pakistan
b) Direction to the Government of Pakistan to make strict laws to save Hindu Temples
c) Direction to the Government of Pakistan to rebuild every temple destroyed or damaged by the mob or anti-social elements till date.
Read the letter here:
Petition-Before-NHRC-of-Pakistan