Hindu Family Held Hostage, Tortured For Drinking Water From Mosque In Pakistan

A Hindu family, consisting of poor farmers, was allegedly held hostage and tortured for fetching drinking water from a mosque in Pakistan's Punjab region, according to the report.

Alam Ram Bheel, a citizen of Rahimyar Khan city in Punjab, was harvesting raw cotton in a field with his family, including his wife when they were attacked for "violating the sanctity" of the place of worship, according to The Wire.

The Incident

According to The Dawn, when Bheel and his family went outside a neighbouring mosque to get drinking water from a tap, some local landlords beat them up. It was said that when the family returned home after unloading the gathered cotton, the landlords took them captive at their dera (outhouse) and tortured them once more for violating the mosque's holiness.

As per reports, no action was taken since the attackers were related to a local parliamentarian of Prime Minister Imran Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Bheel and another clan member, Peter John Bheel, staged a sit-in outside the police station to protest police indifference.

According to Peter, who is also a member of the district peace committee, they approached governing PTI politician Javed Warriach, who assisted them in filing a case on Friday. Peter urged that other members of the district peace committee call an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, but they seemed unconcerned, reports mentioned.

Yodhister Chohan, secretary-general of the PTI's south Punjab minority branch, said he was aware of the incident but chose to stay away owing to the influence of a ruling party's MP. Deputy Commissioner Dr Khuram Shehzad said he will meet Hindu minority elders on Monday before taking any action, while District Police Officer Asad Sarfraz stated he was looking into the incident.

Farooq Rind, a senior lawyer and former president of the district bar, said he was also from the Basti Kahoor area, where the Bheels had lived for over a century. He claimed that the majority of the clan members were farm workers who lived in abject poverty. The accused landlords, according to Rind, were known for provoking conflicts with other peasants over minor concerns. According to the investigation, he promised the complainant's family free legal representation. In Pakistan, Hindus are the largest minority group.

Hindus In The Neighbouring Country

According to official estimates, Pakistan has 75 lakh Hindus. Sindh province is home to the majority of Pakistan's Hindu community, who share their culture, traditions, and language with Muslim citizens.

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