'Exodus: Is Pakistan's Hindu community leaving Sindh?'

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has released a fact-finding study titled Exodus: Is the Hindu Community Leaving Sindh?, which highlights the government’s failure to protect the vulnerable Hindu minority in the province.

The study reveals that many Hindu families are migrating not only due to faith-based violence but also economic hardships and climate change.

During a meeting to discuss the study’s findings, HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said that violence and discrimination against Hindus in Sindh remain underreported. Many families feel compelled to seek refuge abroad, including in India, despite the significant social costs associated with such a decision, added Butt.

Rajvir Singh Sodha, the special assistant to the Sindh chief minister for human rights, said that upper-caste Hindu families are facing extortion from criminal gangs, exacerbated by the deteriorating law and order situation in the province, which has further driven them to migrate.

HRCP Council member Pushpa Kumari raised concerns about the heightened vulnerability of Hindu women, who are often targets of abduction, forced conversion, and underage marriage.

Journalist and council member Sohail Sangi urged both the Sindh and federal governments to take immediate action to foster a safer and more dignified environment for the Hindu community.

He called for enhanced law enforcement, increased representation of Hindus in the police, and ongoing dialogue between the government and local Hindu communities.

The HRCP study also recommends the collection of reliable data on the migration patterns of Hindu individuals and families from Sindh to better understand the issue’s scale.

The study advocates for the deployment of specialised law enforcement units in areas with high levels of violence against minorities and the enforcement of legislation to combat forced conversions and underage marriages.

With inputs from agencies