During the last couple of days, there have been spates of reports, mainly carried by the electronic media, while print media also did not lag behind, that more and more Hindu families are migrating to India from different parts of Sindh due to their growing sense of insecurity on one account or the other. President Asif Ali Zardari has taken serious notice of these reports, constituted a three-member parliamentary committee headed by Federal Minister Maula Bakhsh Chandio and at the same time directed the authorities concerned to remove the Hindus’ grievances and submit a report to him in this regard. The parliamentary committee has been given the all-important task of visiting various parts of Sindh to express solidarity with Hindu families and reassure them that adequate security would be provided to them. If it were also pointed out whether or not the committee would investigate and probe into the grievances, if any, of Hindu families it would have been much better.
Although law and order is a matter concerning the provincial government of Sindh but President Asif Ali Zardari has taken these steps in furtherance of national harmony and national reconciliation to ensure that all citizens of Pakistan, including the minorities, continue living in peace, harmony and feel secure. The reports that started appearing on TV channels a couple of days ago showed Hindu families moving from their decades-old houses in different parts of Sindh, boarding trains for Lahore to migrate to India by crossing Wagah border as they were no longer feeling secure to continue living in Pakistan. Then suddenly, these reports took a u-turn and instead of Hindus migrating to India, these started saying that Hindu families were going to India on pilgrimage. But confusion still prevailed though migration from one country to another and going somewhere on pilgrimage are different things and miles apart from each other.
Hopefully, the committee will move on a fast track in view of the urgency and sensitivity of the matter and submit its report to President Zardari at the earliest possible after looking into all aspects of the matter including the media’s role. It is also expected that in view of the involvement of the Hindu community, the report would also be made public so that facts in this regard are brought to light to quash all speculations and rumours.
BILAL NASIR HANIF,
Islamabad, August 14.