In a disturbing development, 14 members of the Hindu family belonging to Thori Marwari community and residing in the village of Yaro Lund in Ghotki, Pakistan, have been forcibly converted to Islam at the infamous Bharchundi dargah in Sindh.
Notably, Bharchundi dargah in Sindh’s Daharki, headed by Mian Javed Ahmad Qadri is the biggest site of forceful conversion of Hindus in entire Pakistan.
These forced conversions are orchestrated by radicalized clerics, who operate with impunity under the protection of the socio-political system in Pakistan. Converting non-Muslims is perceived as a sacred duty by a significant portion of Pakistani society, leading to the coercion of individuals into adopting Islam.
Sindh being the biggest Hindu populated region faces the wrath most. The radical clerics responsible for these conversions often boast about increasing their count of converted individuals and aim to Islamize entire populations within specific areas within a set timeframe.
For instance, a bigot named Pir Ayub Jan Farooqui has vowed to Islamise the entire Hindi population of Umerkot (Amarkot) and Tharparkar districts. So, these illicit conversions poses a direct threat to religious freedom and the rights of minority communities in Pakistan.
What is particularly alarming is that these conversions frequently target children, who may have little to no understanding of religion, further exacerbating the issue.
With due consideration, the persistence of such practices without challenge underscores the complicity of the Pakistani establishment in perpetuating religious discrimination and violating the rights of minority groups.
Hence, e situation calls for urgent attention and action to safeguard religious freedom and protect vulnerable communities from coercion and persecution.