Pakistan’s authorities demolished minorities homes without giving notice

Pakistan: On January 27, in Rawalpindi, several houses of minority communities, such as Hindu and Christian families, have been demolished by authorities living in the region for the past 70 years.

According to the local broadcaster, five homes were destroyed in Rawalpindi’s Cantonment neighbourhood. Christians, Shias, and Hindu families resided in those destroyed homes. The atrocities didn’t stop there; they dumped their possessions on the streets.

Following the demolition, the Hindu family was forced to seek shelter at a neighbouring temple, and the Shia and Christian families were told to live without shelter.

Pakistani authorities committed numerous crimes against minorities due to the lack of freedom of speech and the right to practise one’s faith in the country.

Speaking about regional law and order, the Hindu victim revealed that at least 100 mafia members arrived as a group. Even when they tried to defend themselves, they harassed and attacked them. They are so strong that no police report was filed because of them.

The victim further explained, “We attempted to challenge them in court, but Naveed Akthar, the only judge on the Cantonment Board, was biased and favoured them. We have all the documentation because we have lived in the area for 70 years”.

“We have all the documentation because we have been living in the area for 70 years”.  “They didn’t give us any advance notification or a window of opportunity to rescue our furniture. We can’t do anything but take the family to the temple “.

For several years, minorities in Pakistan have been tortured. The government, police, and even the court remain silent, unseeing the discrimination against minorities in the country.

Recent reports of a rise in abductions forced marriages, and conversions of young girls and women from religious minorities in Pakistan alarmed UN experts, who demanded immediate action to stop the abuses and guarantee victims receive justice.

According to reports, religious leaders are reportedly involved, and the security and court systems are complicit in these fake marriages and conversions.