7-yr-old missing Hindu girl Priya Kumar’s case spotlights Pakistan’s growing culture of minority persecution
Pakistan, known for the persecution of its minorities of which the Hindus account for 1.61 percent of the country’s total population, recently tried to silence the protesters by baton-charging them for demanding the recovery of a Hindu girl named Priya Kumari who went missing in August 2021.
The case of Priya Kumari’s missing not only shows the Islamic nation’s incapability in protecting its Hindu and other minor communities but also points to the government’s failure to stop protection given to criminal elements who perpetrate child abuse, rape and trafficking.
This nonchalant attitude of the government leaves minority girl children exceptionally vulnerable in the country which this year voted to elect a new government in February with the hope that the situation will be better in the coming days. But the hope remains elusive.
What happened to Priya Kumari?
Seven-year-old Priya Kumari disappeared on Ashura (a holy day in the Islamic calendar) from Sangrar village in Sukkur district of Sindh on August 19, 2021 while she was serving sherbet at a stall.
There is no clue about her whereabouts even today.
Government remains unresponsive
The Sindh home department constituted a JIT in April to investigate police failure while the home minister claimed that the girl was located in Bahawalpur. In reality, the girl remains missing and her community runs from pillar to post amid the receding hope of her recovery some day.
The demand for her recovery is met with baton charges as an answer when they ask the government about her whereabouts.
Priya’s family members once submitted a written application and demanded a deadline for their daughter’s recovery and a transparent probe into the case.
The home minister, however, failed to provide a written acknowledgement of their demand.
An Editorial published by Pakistan’s leading daily The Express Tribune summed up the plight of the family and the inefficiency of the government when it said: “The urgency of Priya’s case cannot be overstated. The authorities must act swiftly and transparently to reunite her with her family and restore faith in the justice system. Additionally, the rampant feudal culture in our society, where the vulnerable, including women and children, are victimised with impunity, needs to be addressed.”
The daily newspaper demanded a systematic reform that would ensure the protection of the vulnerable community.
Justice denied
The case also showed how Pakistan is failing to improve its deteriorating law and order situation.
Dawn News said in its Editorial titled ‘Seeking Priya Kumari’: “In neglecting the plight of minority girls, the state is violating international laws, especially the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women that compels governments to protect women.”
“In neglecting the plight of minority girls, the state is violating international laws, especially the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women that compels governments to protect women,” the newspaper said.
There is an urgent need for Pakistan to ensure every section of society receives justice, else people may soon resort to mob justice by evading the judicial order of the country since it fails to protect them.
Priya Kumari’s case also focuses on the age-old issue of torture and discrimination meted out towards the Hindu community of the nation.
Minority Rights Group said: “Members of the Hindu minority in Pakistan fear persistent harassment at the hands of religious extremists and complain that there is little official protection accorded to them.”
Pakistan should now also look forward to protecting its minority and ensuring their betterment if they want to create a truly democratic nation. A responsible nation can only evolve if its citizens are happy and discrimination in the name of community and religion ends.
