Murder of 18-Year-Old Hindu Girl in Pakistan Sparks Social Media Outrage
15:43 GMT 22.03.2022 (Updated: 11:42 GMT 10.12.2022)
© Photo : twitter/screenshot
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According to the Centre for Social Justice's Peoples Commission for Minorities’ Rights, there have been 156 incidents of forced conversions in Pakistan between 2013 and 2019. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the total Hindu population in the country is 1.60 percent, and 6.51 percent in Sindh province.
An 18-year-old Hindu girl In Pakistan's Sindh province was fatally shot while resisting attempts to abduct her in the street, local media stated on Tuesday.
According to reports, the victim has been identified as Pooja Kumari Oad and the accused wanted to convert her to Islam before marrying her.
The accused has been identified as Wahid Lashari, a tweet by Pakistani journalist Naila Inayat declared.
Pakistani Journalist Condemns Killing of Hindu Girl in Sindh Province of Pakistan
© Photo : Twitter/@nailainayat
Media reports said that Lahiri forcefully entered Pooja’s house and tried to abduct her. But because she refused to come willingly, he killed her.
The accused has been arrested and the victim’s family has demanded that he receive the strictest punishment.
Meanwhile, prominent Sikh leader and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician Manjinder Singh Sirsa, took to Twitter to condemn the act.
BJP Politician Manjinder Singh Sirsa Condemns Murder of Hindu Girl in Pakistan
© Photo : Twitter/@mssirsa
I had a talk with family of Pooja Oad in Pak. She was killed by attackers while resisting 2nd abduction attempt. Minority families are living in Pak under fearful circumstances! The issue of safety of Pak’s Hindu/Sikh families needs to be raised at global level @DrSJaishankar Ji https://t.co/Ej40Tq8n4L pic.twitter.com/6kMGE665TU
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) March 22, 2022
The incident has triggered an outrage on social media in India as well as in Pakistan.
Twitter User from Pakistan Condoles Killing of Hindu Girl
© Photo : Twitter/@SindhuSorath
Twitter User from Pakistan Condoles Killing of Hindu Girl
© Photo : Twitter/@SindhuSorath
Social Media User from Pakistan Expresses Grief on Killing of Hindu Girl Pooja Oad
© Photo : Twitter/@SindhuSorath
Twitter User Condoles Killing of Hindu Girl in Pakistan
© Photo : Twitter/@HassanC49735704
18-year-old #Hindu girl Pooja Oad was shot dead in Rohri, Sukkur Sindh in Pakistan a failed attempt to kidnap her. This is how you treat your minorities#JusticeForPoojaKumari#saveminoritygirls pic.twitter.com/QMYcw05Mzm
— USA UNCENSORED (@USAUNCSD) March 22, 2022
Hindu Organisation in Pakistan Condemns Murdre of Pooja Oad
© Photo : Twitter/@Pak_Hindus
Hindus, who are a minority in Pakistan, are regularly targeted with abductions, rape, forced marriage and murder.
The latest Sindh incident is not unique.
According to the European Parliament, “the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s 2019 Report states that on an average, more than 1,000 forced conversions take place every year.”
Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported in 2020 that data from between 2013 and 2020 shows that such crimes took place in all provinces and in all minority communities.
“Data on 162 cases of conversion of minor girls from Punjab and Sindh (provinces) showed that at least 46 percent of the ‘converted’ females were below the age of 18. Only 16 percent of the females were more than 18 years of age,” the report published in the newspaper said.
In 2014, an eight-year-old Hindu girl was raped and killed in Pakistan’s Khanpur Tehsil and in 2017, a 14-year-old Hindu girl was abducted and forcibly converted to Islam.
