June 10, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 9: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has condemned the harassment of minority community members, particularly Hindus, in Larkana to force them to change their political loyalties.

The Hindu community has complained that some of their prominent members living in Shahdadkot, Larkana, are receiving threatening phone calls demanding extortion from them and also asking them to renounce their association with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) or face dire consequences.

Noted Hindu family of Warand Mal living in the neighbourhood of MNA Ramesh Lal was targeted the other day, as Warand’s son was shot and wounded. The attackers managed to escape.

Last month another Hindu youth was shot dead in Larkana by unknown assailants. Threatening calls and letters are routinely sent to the Hindu families asking them to give up their association with the PPP. However, no action has been taken on the complaints filed by the affected Hindu families with police.

Ms Bhutto said that she was shocked at the manner in which the state apparatus had been let loose against the Hindu community in Larkana.

The regime has two faces; one to show to the world that it is promoting liberalism and tolerance in the country, but its other face is that minorities are threatened and humiliated as never before, she said.

Ms Bhutto said that as elections drew near, the Hindu and minority supporters of the PPP were being harassed in a calculated manner so as to strike terror in the hearts of the people of Sindh to desist from supporting the party.