Hindu boy killed in Pakistan following blasphemy allegations; communal tensions persist

Karachi: A Hindu youth was shot dead on Wednesday as communal tension gripped a district in Pakistan’s Sindh province following alleged desecration of a holy book by a man from the minority community who was arrested for blasphemy. Tensions ran high in Mehran Samejo village in Ghotki district after a Hindu man, Amar Lal, who was said to be mentally unstable, allegedly desecrated a holy book on Tuesday. According to reports, Amar, who has been arrested, was a drug addict and was living in a mosque after converting to Islam a few months ago. [caption id=“attachment_2919328” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image courtesy: @HafeezPPP/Twitter[/caption] After the incident, local religious leaders along with several agitated people took to the streets. During a protest, some men riding on motorbikes fired at two Hindu youths who were sitting outside a tea stall in Mirpur Mathelo. In the attack, one of the youths, Dewan Sateesh Kumar, 17, was killed while another was critically injured, Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Masood Ahmed Bangash said. Satesh was a businessman. Local leaders of the Hindu community have demanded their lives and properties be protected in the wake of the tension. Bangash said that police with the help of Rangers are trying to diffuse the tense situation. According to reports, all towns of the Ghotki district remained closed on Wednesday. Leaders of local religious parties have demanded severe punishment for Amar, who has been booked for blasphemy and shifted to an undisclosed location by police. Sindh has the biggest population of Hindus in Pakistan.