THE events that led to the murder on Monday of three doctors belonging to the Hindu community in a town near Shikarpur remain shrouded in mystery as conflicting details have emerged in the press. It is irrelevant whether the Muslim girl at the centre of the murders was an entertainer or simply someone in love with a Hindu man. The offence committed had all the trappings of a hate crime which was rightly denounced by the highest in the government, Sindh's opinion leaders, nationalist parties and civil society. It appeared a case of the perpetrators making a horrible example of the members of the minority community in a bid to further push the Hindu community to the wall, with a view to keeping in place the social apartheid practised against it. Unfortunately, as reported by Hindu leaders, there has emerged a pattern in the rising number of cases of kidnapping for ransom, forced conversions and violence against the community over the past few years. The perpetrators comprise Islamic extremists who see nothing wrong in forcibly converting or harassing the minority community, totally disregarding the deep-rooted culture of peaceful coexistence that has been the hallmark of Sindhi society for centuries.

The situation in certain pockets of Balochistan, including Quetta, where such misguided elements have reportedly kidnapped Hindu traders for ransom in recent months is equally cause for concern. There is a need to not allow any such criminal activity to take place under the cover of religion for there is nothing Islamic about terrorising minority communities. While it is heartening to see civil society joining the ranks of the Hindu minority in Sindh in their protest against the latest killings, state institutions must play a proactive role in rooting out violence against minorities by bringing the culprits to justice. The police must build a prosecution case that stands the test of justice in a court of law and facilitates the judiciary's role in establishing the criminals' guilt. Meanwhile, sensitising public opinion to the treatment meted out to minorities must be given top priority by civil society groups and government officials.