A video of a Hindu boy being forced to abuse his own religion in Pakistan's Sindh province has once again brought to fore the problems faced by the minority community in the predominantly Muslim nation.
"Abuse your religion... say it out loud. You people have spread dirt in Pakistan," the abuser can be heard saying in the video.
According to Dr. Ramesh Vankvani, a federal senator in Pakistan’s National Assembly and the head of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), the incident took place in the Tharparkar district in the southern Sindh province.
The federal Census in 2017 found that Tharparkar boasted the largest Hindu population among all of Pakistan's districts, with nearly half of its population practicing Hinduism.
“The Pakistan Hindu Council is on the case. I have told the police that the state must take responsibility for the incident. I can also confirm that the person behind the incident has been arrested,” said Dr Vankvani, who is part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) outfit.
“Such incidents bring a bad name to Tharparkar, which is otherwise known for Hindu-Muslim religious unity. I could guarantee that the matter would be resolved today,” he stated in a video message.
Religious persecution by the dominant Muslim community against minority Hindus – as well as Christians and Sikhs – in Pakistan is often reported by human right groups. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the country witnesses an average of 1,000+ forced conversions annually.
Several western powers, including the US and European Union (EU), have chided the Pakistani government over the abuses suffered by minorities in the South Asian country. The EU stated last year that the issue of "forced conversions" in Pakistan was among the top priorities of Brussels in the country.