Category: Trending

Sindh’s Hindu community and civil society are demanding the release of Hindu Professor Nutan Lal.

Professor Nutan Lal, a resident of Ghotki in Sindh, is currently serving a sentence in a blasphemy case. On September 15, 2019, authorities arrested Nutan Lal, the owner and principal of a private school in Ghotki, after a student accused him of insulting Prophet Muhammad during an Urdu lesson. Lal was charged with “insulting the Prophet Muhammad” (Sec. 295-C). The accusation led to protests and riots in Ghotki, resulting in the vandalism of a Hindu temple and damage to Nutan Lal’s school.

On February 7, 2022, Nutan Lal was sentenced to life in prison and fined 50,000 rupees. The court’s written judgment states that on September 14, 2019, the plaintiff Abdul Aziz Khan filed a case at Ghotki police station, alleging that Nutan Lal insulted the Prophet of Islam in class. This marks the first such incident in recent Sindh history where a Hindu citizen has been sentenced for blasphemy. Professor Nutan Lal is married and a father of four children.

Nutan’s cousin, Mahesh Kumar, claims that the demands of justice have not been met, and the verdict was delivered under duress. He argues there were no eyewitnesses to the incident, only hearsay statements, and the witnesses included by the plaintiff are also neighbors. Mahesh Kumar highlights the fear and pressure the Hindu community in Ghotki is facing, especially as his family encounters difficulties in pursuing the case. Despite the constitutional right to a fair trial, Professor Nutan has been deprived of this right.

Human rights and minority rights organizations in Sindh have voiced their concerns for justice for Professor Nutan Lal. Following appeals by civil society, Twitter has trended this month with posts supporting Professor Nutan Lal, urging justice and a transparent, impartial inquiry into his case. The arrest and conviction of Professor Nutan Lal have created a wave of concern in the Hindu community in Sindh.

Challenges in the Search for Missing Hindu Girl Priya Kumari: A Question on Government and Law Enforcement Competence in Sindh, Pakistan

Innocent Hindu girl, Priya Kumari, missing, poses a challenge for the Sindh government in Pakistan. Details reveal that a 7-year-old girl, Priya Kumari, has been missing since August 18, 2021, from the Sangrar area of Sukkur. Raju Mal runs a grocery shop in Sangrar town of Tehsil Salehpat in Sukkur.

As a yearly tradition, on the 10th of Muharram in 2021, he set up a sabeel outside his house. While Priya Kumari, his seven-year-old daughter, was offering water to pilgrims at the Sabeel, she was abducted by unknown persons. Priya was a third-class student in a local private school.

Following the girl’s abduction, the police registered a case, and Sindh Police IG Mushtaq Shah visited Priya’s house in Sangrar twice, assuring her recovery. Over 300 people were detained on suspicion. The Hindu Panchayat contacted Provincial Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, leading to the formation of an inquiry team, including three SSP-ranked officers. Despite interrogating relatives, neighbors, and passers-by, the girl remains missing.

Since Priya Kumari’s abduction, protests have erupted in small and large cities of Sindh. The Hindu community and civil society protested in Karachi, gaining national and international media attention. However, over two years later, the police are yet to determine whether Priya was kidnapped for ransom or another purpose.

Priya Kumari’s parents have left their native area, now residing in Sukkur city, isolated and hopeful for their daughter’s return. Veena Kumari, the mother, is overwhelmed with grief, and Raju Mal, the father, is still in shock.

Recently, the Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh, Justice Retired Maqbool Baqir, ordered Priya Kumari’s prompt recovery, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy against violence towards minorities. A delegation from the Hindu, Christian,and Sikh communities met with the caretaker Chief Minister at Sukkur Circuit House, voicing concerns over Priya Kumari’s recovery. The Sindh government announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for information about Priya and assistance in her search. Nevertheless, the disappearance of the innocent girl Priya poses a significant challenge to law enforcement agencies and raises questions about the efficiency and competence of the government and the police.