Karachi-Minority Affairs Minister Giyan Chand Israni on Monday told the Sindh Assembly that the security for Hindu temples had been beefed up across the province after a rocket launcher was fired on a temple in district Kashmore’s Ghouspur locality in a “reaction” to Pakistani woman Seema Haider’s marriage to a Hindu man.
Thirty-year-old Seema, a mother of four children, went to India illegally via Nepal to marry a 22-year-old Indian man named Sachin to whom she befriended through PUBG, an online gaming platform. Replying to a point of order raised by Mangla Sharma of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan the minister said that the girl went to India and married a Hindu boy. He added that in a reaction to the girl’s marriage to a Hindu boy, some miscreants had threatened Hindu community. “The dacoits have also threatened for more attack on Hindu temples,” he added while “appealing” them to refrain from doing so as Hindu community had nothing to do with Seema’s marriage with an Indian man.
The minister said that Muslim community was also supporting the Hindus who had been threatened and had nothing to do with Seema’s marriage.
Israni said that Hindu community had been living in Sindh for the past 400 years and enjoying all fundamental rights equally to other communities.
He said that he himself was coordinating with the inspector general of police on daily basis and the chief minister was also looking closely on the matter.
Mangla Sharma told the house that entire Hindu community was afraid after a rocket launcher was fired on the temple in Ghuospur area in district Kashmir. She said that fortunately, the rocket launcher was not blown up and no casualty was recorded.
KE, HESCO, SEPCO
failed miserably
Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon to a point of order raised by MQM-P’s parliamentary leader Rana Ansar said that K-Electric, HESCO and SEPCO had been failed badly to provide relief to the masses.
He said that the load-shedding for days had been carried out in Sukkur and other parts of the province.
“In Karachi we face hours-long electricity load-shedding but in lower Sindh, the electricity was disconnected for days,” he added.The information minister also expressed reservations on “collective punishment” being carried out by the power distributor companies.
He said that instead of disconnecting electricity of defaulters, the power utilities used to disconnect the electricity of the entire area which he said against the fundamental rights.
Memon also asked the MQM-P MPAs to ask its leadership for taking up the matter with the prime minister, adding that the MQM-P was also an important ally in the federal government.
Earlier, Rana Ansar said that the people had been facing severe hardships as prolonged load-shedding was being carried out by the K-Electric.
She also expressed reservations on the hike in the electricity tariff demanding that the same should be withdrawn. Rana Ansar also demanded that the electricity prices must be same for the people of Islamabad and Karachi. Separately, Nand Kumar of GDA claimed that the people belonging to Punjab having forged domicile had been appointed on Sindh Quota. Responding to the claim, Sharjeel Inam Memon said that strict action would be taken against the responsible, if the forgery was proven.
“The one who got and the one who prepared the forged domicile, the both will be taken to task,” he added.
Meanwhile, the house unanimously passed The Stamp (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2022 and The Sindh Senior Citizen Welfare (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Later, the house was adjourned to July 18 (today).