Pakistani President Orders Inquiry Into Attacks On Hindus

Islamabad, Nov 9, IRNA – Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari, has ordered inquiry into attacks on minority Hindus in southern Sindh province, where gunmen shot dead three Hindus on Monday, presidential spokesman said. A Hindu doctor and two businessmen were shot dead in Shikarpur district by unidentified gunmen opened fire on a clinic. Two others were injured. President Zardari took a serious note of attack on some members of Hindu community and has sought an immediate report, spokesman Farhatullah Babar said. He also asked for immediate arrest of culprits and bringing them to justice. The President also instructed a minority lawmaker Ramesh Lal to proceed to the place of incident and convey his condolences to the bereaved families. President Zardari said it was the moral and legal responsibility of the government to protect members of minority community against vandalism and atrocities. He said the law would take its course and culprits will not go unpunished. A police officer Rakhiyoo Meerani said that they had arrested 13 suspects in connection with the attack. “The relatives of deceased have not lodged a case. Once a case is lodged we will arrest the culprits irrespective of what their influence is,” he said. The Hindu community on Tuesday shut their business in protest and announced an indefinite strike till those responsible for the killing are brought to book. They also announced three days of mourning. Police have not yet said anything about the motives behind the incident but section of the local media reported that the Hindu community in Shikarpur had been in conflict with the Muslim community over an alleged case of sexual assault. The Muslim community alleged that three members of the Hindu community had sexually assaulted a girl from their community a few weeks ago and the Muslim community wanted to exact revenge. The two communities had been locked in talks seeking a compromise. The three boys from the Hindu community were arrested after a police raid found them together with a hired dancing girl. Before a resolution could be reached, gunmen fired upon and killed a Hindu doctor and two businessmen, relatives to the arrested Hindu men./end