UK flags concern over persecution of Hindus, Sikhs in Pak
Saturday, 08/06/2019
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
LONDON: Persecution of Hindu and Sikh minorities in Pakistan is among major concerns expressed in Britain’s annual report on human rights and democracy.
Retaining Pakistan among 30 “human rights priority countries”, the report for 2018 says the main concerns were restrictions on freedom of expression and on civil society, intolerance towards and discrimination against members of religious and other minorities, failure to uphold women and children’s rights and the continued imposition and use of the death penalty.
“Allegations of discrimination and violence against members of religious minorities continued, especially against Ahmadiyya Muslims and Christians, but also against Hindus, Sikhs and Shia Muslims. Misuse of the blasphemy laws was frequent,” it says. “There were recurrent reports of forced conversions to Islam and forced marriages to Muslim men of Hindu and Christian women…(Discrimination) and violence against women and girls remained common... Modern slavery continued to be a major problem”.
The report also mentions attacks against Sikh and Hindu communities in Afghanistan.
British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “(The) report makes for sobering reading. Respect for human rights globally seems to be at an all-time low.”