Members of the Hindu community from across the country have staged a sit-in in front of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to protest against the mysterious death of eleven Pakistani Hindus in Jodhpur, India, last month.
Protestors call upon international community to provide them justice
According to media reports a large number of Hindus, led by MNA and Patron-in-Chief Pakistan Hindu Council, Dr. Ramesh Kumar, reached Islamabad late last night from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and various other parts of the country in a caravan.
The participants of the sit-in chanted slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government. They demanded a transparent inquiry into the tragic incident from the Indian government.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ramesh Kumar said India must provide post mortem report and copy of the FIR of the incident to the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi immediately.
Read More: Protests in Islamabad over killing of Pakistani Hindus in India
Background: Mysterious death of eleven Pakistani Hindus in Jodhpur
Eleven members of a family of Pakistan Hindu migrants were found dead at a farm in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district on Sunday (August 9) morning, police said.
“We are yet to ascertain the cause and means of death. But apparently, all the members appeared to have committed suicide by consuming some chemical in the night,” Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rahul Barhat said.
He said there was a smell of chemicals around in the hut, suggesting that they consumed something.
All the family members were Hindu migrants from Pakistan from the Bhil community and had been living on the farm in the village, which they had hired for farming.
“There was neither any injury mark on any of the bodies nor any evidences of any foul play,” the SP said. “But we have roped in the forensic team and a dog squad to arrive at any final conclusion.”
Preliminary information indicated that there was some dispute in the family over some issue.
What the single survivor had to say
A person of the family was found alive outside the hut they lived at Lodta village of Dechu area, an officer said. “But he claimed to have no idea about the incident, which believed to have happened in the night,” said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rahul Barhat.
The survivor claimed he had slept outside the hut and did not know what exactly had happened inside the hut that night until the next morning.
“Once we interrogate the survivor, we would be in any position to find out that what had led to this incident,” he said.
All the family members were Hindu migrants from Pakistan and belonged to the Bheel community. They had been living on the farm in the village which had been taken on rent for farming.
Read More: Pakistani Hindus who went to India for citizenship under controversial law return home
FO summoned Indian envoy over ‘mysterious’ deaths
The Indian envoy was told that “despite repeated requests by the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi for details regarding the tragic incident, the Indian government continues to evade the issue, has disclosed only scant information about the case, and has failed to share any substantive details regarding the cause and circumstances of the deaths”, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.
The press release noted that a daughter of the deceased head of the family, Shrimati Mukhi, had made “highly concerning statements, implicating the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in the murder of her father, mother and other family members, allegedly after [RAW] failed to convince them to spy on Pakistan and issue anti-Pakistan statements”.
The envoy was told that it was of “utmost importance” for the Indian government to be fully transparent about the incident in the interest of justice to the family and also to “ensure the safety and security of other Pakistani nationals in India”.
“It was emphasised that since the victims of ‘Jodhpur incident’ were Pakistani nationals, it was incumbent upon the Government of Pakistan to be fully aware of the circumstances under which its nationals died in India,” the FO said.