A report released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) criticised the ‘state’s absence, at best its ineffectiveness’ in protecting the marginalised hari community in Sindh, adding that their access to basic social and economic rights remains severely limited by ‘their status as landless tenants subject to a formidable feudal structure.’
Documenting testimonies from victims of enforced disappearances and their families, the report says that ‘the state has much to answer for in terms of its inability – or unwillingness’ to curb the practice, which appears to target supporters of Sindhi nationalist parties.
The report points out that discrimination against the province’s Hindu community is now ‘entrenched’: access to employment, fair wages and even accommodation has become more difficult. HRCP has also criticized the Sindh government’s failure to criminalize forced conversions.—INP
