The incident occurred on 8 November, when the men were shot by unidentified gunmen in Shikarpur, Sindh. A fourth victim is still in hospital. The attack came in the midst of a dispute between the Hindu community and a Muslim tribe and took place a short time before mediation attempts were due to begin.
Pakistan’s President and Prime Minister have condemned the murders, as have a number of prominent provincial politicians from Sindh, making assurances that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said that the incident “demonstrates that perpetrators believe they can get away with the murder simply because the victims are non-Muslim”, while the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has underlined “the fundamental responsibility of the State to ensure safety and protection of all its citizens irrespective of religion, class, sex, caste or creed”.
The incident took place in the same week that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlighted the “especially negative” depiction of Hindus in Pakistani schools in a new study on religious discrimination in the Pakistani education system.
CSW’s South Asia Team Leader, David Griffiths, said, “We too condemn this senseless act of vigilante violence and send our deepest condolences to the victims’ community. We add our voice to calls for a thorough and fair investigation into this crime. It is imperative that the Pakistani authorities be seen to demonstrate that those who commit crimes against religious minorities are brought to justice in the same way as any other, and that no one is above the law.”
For further information, visit www.csw.org.uk.
