Killing of 11 Pakistani Hindus in India: IHC issues notices to federal govt

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the federal government in a petition filed against the killing of 11 Pakistani Hindus in Jodhpur city of India.

A single bench of Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition moved by the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA).

The bench directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the secretary Cabinet Division to submit reply in this matter, and deferred the proceedings for two weeks.

During the hearing, IHCBA President Chaudhry Haseeb Advocate argued that the bar had moved the petition in public interest and national cause.

He added that Pakistani Hindu family visited Rajhasthan where Indian spy agency plotted their murders through the extremist organization, RSS.

Haseeb maintained that the family members of the Hindu community were killed after they refused to spy for India in Pakistan.

Justice Athar said it was our constitutional responsibility to protect the rights of Pakistani citizens particularly of minorities. He further said it was a good thing to raise voice for the minorities.

In its petition, the association prayed to the court to issue orders to the federal government and the Foreign Office to agitate the matter before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and further take serious actions in filing representation before the ICJ to ban Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) terrorist organisation.

The petitioner also requested the court that the respondent secretaries be directed to initiate appropriate action against Indian Embassy Islamabad, and they also may be directed to take all essential steps to ensure dispensation of fair justice to the victim family.

The IHCBA moved the court through its president Chaudhary Haseeb Muhammad Advocate and cited federation of Pakistan through secretary Cabinet Division and secretary Foreign Affairs as respondents.

The petitioner adopted that the Constitution gives equal rights to minorities and Pakistan’s 11 Hindu citizens were murdered in India over refusing to spy on Pakistan.

It stated that complainant Shrimati Mukhi narrated in her FIR lodged on August 9 that 11 member of her family were murdered in Jodhpur town by RAW through the RSS goons after the agency failed to convince them to spy on Pakistan.

It also said that in the above incident, the involvement and abetment of Indian Embassy present in Pakistan cannot be ignored as they after issuance of visa to the said victims provided the information of these 11 Hindu Pakistani nationals to the RAW, who trapped the family and forced them to work for Indian government and to spy on Pakistan.

According to the petition, it was the duty of the Indian government to ensure the security and life of the victims but it has miserably failed to give any protection, which shows that India is not safe for any visitor or traveller.

“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, and has disclosed only scant information about the case,” said the IHCBA.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020