KARACHI: Lawmakers belonging to the Hindu community expressed their concern over the security of their places of worship following an attack on a temple, which they believed was a reaction to the marriage of a Pakistani woman to a Hindu man in India.

During the Sindh Assembly session on Monday, the Hindu members from both sides of the aisle also fervently appealed to dacoits not to target the minority community as their members in the country had nothing to do with Seema Haider’s marriage with an Indian man.

Speaking on a point of order, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s Mangla Sharma told the house that the entire Hindu community was afraid after a rocket was fired on a temple in the Ghuospur area of district Kashmore, which fortunately did not explode and no casualty took place.

She said that again a seven-year-old boy was kidnapped in Kandhkot two days ago. “What message is being given to the minority community,” she asked and appealed to the dacoits in the interior parts of the province to refrain from attacking the community members.

Hindu lawmakers express concern over security of worship places

In reply to the MQM-P member, Minority Affairs Minister Giyan Chand Israni said that the security for Hindu temples had been beefed up across the province in the wake of these attacks.

He said that some miscreants had threatened Hindu community apparently in reaction to Seema’s marriage with the Indian man.

Minister Israni said he had learnt through social media that the dacoits had also threatened to carry out more attacks on Hindu temples. “I appeal to them to refrain from doing so as Hindu community has nothing to do with Seema’s marriage with an Indian man”, he added.

The minister said the Muslim community was also supporting the Hindus as they had nothing to do with the couple’s marriage.

He said the Hindu community had been living in Pakistan for the hundreds of years and enjoying all fundamental rights equally.

The minister said that he himself was coordinating with the inspector general of police on daily basis and the chief minister was also monitoring the situation.

‘Power utilities failed miserably’

In reply to a point of order, Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that K-Electric, Hesco and Sepco had miserably failed to provide relief to the masses.

The point of order was raised by MQM-P’s parliamentary party leader Rana Ansar, who said that the KE had made people’s life miserable by resorting to loadshedding for 12 to 16 hours in Karachi.

She also said that the power utility was issuing excessive bills to the consumers.

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 be same for the people of Islamabad and Karachi.

The information minister said that the power utilities in the interior parts of the province were suspending power supply for days now.

He also expressed reservations on collective punishment being carried out by the power distribution companies to recover from their line loses and power theft.

He said that instead of disconnecting the electricity of defaulters, the power utilities used to disconnect the electricity of the entire area or locality which, he said, was against the fundamental rights.

The minister asked the MQM-P MPAs to urge their leadership for taking up the matter with the prime minister, saying that the party was also an important ally in the federal government.

Fake domiciles

On a point of order, Grand Democratic Alliance’s Nand Kumar Goklani said that people belonging to Punjab had been appointed on Sindh quota in employment through forged domiciles.

Responding to the claim, Minister Memon said that strict action would be taken against those responsible, if the forgery was proven.

“Those who got employment and those who prepared forged domiciles will be taken to task,” he added.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani also asked the provincial government to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter, saying that the practice of making fake domiciles was not acceptable at all.

Meanwhile, the house unanimously passed The Stamp (Sindh Amendment) Bill, 2022 and The Sindh Senior Citizen Welfare (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Later, the speaker adjourned the house to Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2023