- A Hindu farmer was shot dead by a landowner in Sindh, Pakistan this week
- The accused feudal lord, Sarfaraz Nizamani, shot tenant Kailash Kolhi in the chest
- Protests erupted demanding the accused’s arrest and protection for the victim’s family
A Hindu farmer was shot dead by a land owner in Pakistan's Sindh province earlier this week, sparking huge protests by the minority groups in the country.
According to reports, the accused - identified as Sarfaraz Nizamani, a feudal lord, shot the Hindu farmer tenant, Kailash Kolhi, in his chest. He died on the spot.
The reason behind the murder is not yet known.
Many Hindu minority and human rights groups have been leading massive protests against the Pakistani federal and local government in Sindh. They are demanding the arrest of the accused and a case to be registered against him under the charges of murder and terrorism. The groups are also demanding complete protection for the family of the victim.
"Emergency measures must be taken across Sindh to ensure the protection of life," the protesting groups said.
Shiva Kachhi, chairman of the minority rights organisation Pakistan Darawar Ittehad, strongly condemned the killing and called it a "brutal and cold-blooded murder".
"The blood of Kailash Kolhi demands justice from all of us. This is not just the murder of one individual, but an attack on humanity, justice, and the fundamental rights and safety of minorities in Sindh. Our struggle will continue until the perpetrators are brought before the law and justice is served," he wrote in a post on X.
This comes days after the Pakistan Foreign Minister lectured India on minority rights while criticising the demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque in Delhi's Turkman Gate area. India had rejected Pakistan's remarks, calling them "abysmal".
"We reject the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself. Pakistan's horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well-established fact. No amount of finger-pointing will obfuscate it," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
