ISLAMABAD: The Sindh Graduates Association (SGA), Islamabad chapter, has said attempts to forcibly convert members of the Hindu community and attacks on their temples in different parts of Sindh were part of a conspiracy to spoil the historical peace, tolerance and religious freedom in the province

Because of the conversion attempts and attacks in Hyderabad, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Mithi, Badin and other areas, the sense of insecurity is also rising among the minority communities, it added.

The SGA demanded that the government should take measures for the protection of the lives and properties of the minorities.

At a meeting here, the association condemned the recent incidents of violence against the Hindu community in Sindh and their places of worship.

The meeting also passed a resolution stating that “These attacks are aimed at forcing the Hindu community to migrate from Sindh so that their properties could be occupied.”

It also termed the recent incidents part of a conspiracy to affect the demography of Sindh.

The SGA Islamabad president, Mohammad Yousuf Memon, demanded that the federal and the Sindh governments should take special measures to protect the rights, properties and lives of the minorities.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Memon said there were temples in different parts of Sindh which owned thousands of acres of land. Some people want to occupy the land of the temples.

“During the last one decade, a number of seminaries have been opened in Sindh due to which extremism is increasing in the province. People who run these seminaries want to force the minorities to become Muslim. Some religious leaders in the province are also supporting them,” he said.

“Because of these groups, some Hindus have left Pakistan. Last year, a group of Hindus was stopped in Lahore from migrating to India. The government had assured them that the minorities would be protected. However, the promise could not be implemented,” he said.