Pilgrims visiting India forced to make anti-Pakistan statements, community leader claims

KARACHI: A Hindu community's representative has claimed that 50 people of the community who went to India a month ago to visit holy sites were forced to make anti-Pakistan statements under duress by India's law enforcement agencies and are currently being held hostage, reports The News. 

Lakhi Mal, who led a protest outside the Hyderabad Press Club on Monday, told The News that they firmly believe that the neighbouring country's intelligence agencies are pressurising the Hindu community to vilify Pakistan and have detained them illegally to embarrass Pakistan.

According to him, 50 members of his community, including men, women and children, went to India on February 3 to pay a visit to their holy places.

However, days after their arrival, the group allegedly made a case for Indian citizenship saying they were subjected to religious persecution in Pakistan. They had also alleged that Hindus were forced to convert to Islam in Pakistan.

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"We firmly believe that our people have been kept hostage in India and that they were forced to issue statements about their alleged oppression in Pakistan," said Mal.

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"We completely reject these accusations which were made under pressure of the Indian government. And we want to tell that we Hindus are living a peaceful life, and that we enjoy all the rights in Pakistan," said Mal.

Originally published in The News