Several Hindus were attacked and forced out of their homes in Pakistan's southern Sindh province after a boy of the community drank water from a cooler outside a mosque.
About 60 Hindu men, women and children were recently forced to abandon their homes at Memon Goth in Karachi, the capital of Sindh, after influential tribesmen of the area objected to the boy drinking water.
"All hell broke loose when my son, Dinesh drank water from a cooler outside a mosque. Upon seeing him do that, the people of the area started beating him up," a Hindu man named Meerumal told The News daily.
"Later, around 150 tribesmen attacked us, injuring seven of our people who were taken to the Jinnah Hospital," he said.
The Hindus have taken refuge in a cattle pen but now about 400 Hindu families have been warned that they must leave the area. "Our people are even scared of going out of their houses. We are also putting up with living in the filthy cattle pen because we cannot go home for fear of being killed," said Heera, who was injured in the attack by tribesmen.
"A trivial incident led to riots between the people in the area. As both communities happened to be illiterate, the matter just flared up," said the chief of Memon Goth police station.
However, the police officer dismissed claims that the Hindus in the area didn’t have security and insisted the minority community could go back to their homes any time they wanted.
Sindh's Minority Affairs Minister Mohan Lal has assured the Hindu community that it will receive full government protection.
"I have directed the police to ensure that these people go back to their houses safely," he said.
- PTI
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