Unknown gunmen shot and killed a Hindu businessman Satan Lal in Ghotki district district of Pakistan's Sindh province on Monday.

This is the most recent episode of atrocities against Pakistan's minority communities.

Sunil Kumar, a Hindu businessman, was shot and killed by unidentified individuals in Anaj Mandi, Sindh province, on January 4.

According to news agency ANI, the businessman's assassination caused the city to shut down.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in Pakistan's northern Peshawar city on January 30, killing a Christian priest and injuring another.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Khehal Das Kohistani, a politician from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told the media that efforts were on to damage Sindh's image of coexistence.

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First two Hindu minor girls were abducted from Sindh 
 
Now a Hindu businessman Satan Lal shot dead. He had got multiple threats asking him to go back to India 
 
International Media is literally blind to the violence against Hindu minority in Pakistan<a href="https://t.co/Nd3uKnI0e1">pic.twitter.com/Nd3uKnI0e1</a>
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He went on to say that Hindu females were being forcibly converted and that individuals were being kidnapped and killed.&nbsp;

According to Pakistan's 2017 Universal Periodic Review submitted to the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), an average of 20 Hindu girls are abducted in Pakistan every month, converted to Islam by force, and then married off to their abductors.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/more-than-3600-attacks-on-minority-hindus-since-2013-in-bangladesh-rights-groups-concerned-422973">Also read | More than 3,600 attacks on minority Hindus since 2013 in Bangladesh, rights groups concerned</a>

Religious minorities in Pakistan continue to suffer as a result of frequent acts of violence against them, including abductions of girls from minority communities, forced conversions, and vandalism of religious institutions.

These are only a few of the many forced conversions of religious minorities in Pakistan that have been documented.

The international community has repeatedly chastised the country for failing to protect the interests of its minority.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Unknown gunmen shot and killed a Hindu businessman Satan Lal in Ghotki district district of Pakistan's Sindh province on Monday. This is the most recent episode of atrocities against Pakistan's minority communities.

Unknown gunmen shot and killed a Hindu businessman Satan Lal in Ghotki district district of Pakistan's Sindh province on Monday. This is the most recent episode of atrocities against Pakistan's minority communities. Sunil Kumar, a Hindu businessman, was shot and killed by unidentified individuals in Anaj Mandi, Sindh province, on January 4. According to news agency ANI, the businessman's assassination caused the city to shut down. Unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in Pakistan's northern Peshawar city on January 30, killing a Christian priest and injuring another. Meanwhile, Khehal Das Kohistani, a politician from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told the media that efforts were on to damage Sindh's image of coexistence. First two Hindu minor girls were abducted from Sindh Now a Hindu businessman Satan Lal shot dead. He had got multiple threats asking him to go back to India International Media is literally blind to the violence against Hindu minority in Pakistanpic.twitter.com/Nd3uKnI0e1 — Monica (@TrulyMonica) February 1, 2022 × He went on to say that Hindu females were being forcibly converted and that individuals were being kidnapped and killed. According to Pakistan's 2017 Universal Periodic Review submitted to the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), an average of 20 Hindu girls are abducted in Pakistan every month, converted to Islam by force, and then married off to their abductors. Also read | More than 3,600 attacks on minority Hindus since 2013 in Bangladesh, rights groups concerned Religious minorities in Pakistan continue to suffer as a result of frequent acts of violence against them, including abductions of girls from minority communities, forced conversions, and vandalism of religious institutions. These are only a few of the many forced conversions of religious minorities in Pakistan that have been documented. The international community has repeatedly chastised the country for failing to protect the interests of its minority. (With inputs from agencies)

Hindu businessman killed in Pakistan's Sindh province

A 31-year-old Hindu journalist in Pakistan was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Sindh province, multiple reports said on Saturday.

Ajay Lalvani, a reporter with a local television station and an Urdu language newspaper Daily Puchano, died on Thursday after he sustained bullet injuries in stomach, arm, and knee, The News International reported. He was sitting in the barber shop in Sukkur city when unidentified assailants on two bikes and a car drove by and opened fire.

Lalvani was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died.

The police on Friday registered an FIR against three unknown assailants and launched an investigation.

The victim's father has dismissed the police's claim of the murder being the result of a personal enmity.

A group of journalists protested against Lalvani's killing and carried out a march after his funeral. They claimed that the incident was a target killing as they held the Sukkur Police responsible for the incident.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an American independent non-profit organisation, has also urged authorities in Sindh province to apprehend those responsible for the killing.

A 31-year-old Hindu journalist in Pakistan was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Sindh province, multiple reports said on Saturday. Ajay Lalvani, a reporter with a local television station and an Urdu language newspaper Daily Puchano, died on Thursday after he sustained bullet injuries in stomach, arm, and knee, The News International reported.

A 31-year-old Hindu journalist in Pakistan was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Sindh province, multiple reports said on Saturday. Ajay Lalvani, a reporter with a local television station and an Urdu language newspaper Daily Puchano, died on Thursday after he sustained bullet injuries in stomach, arm, and knee, The News International reported. He was sitting in the barber shop in Sukkur city when unidentified assailants on two bikes and a car drove by and opened fire. Lalvani was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died. The police on Friday registered an FIR against three unknown assailants and launched an investigation. The victim's father has dismissed the police's claim of the murder being the result of a personal enmity. A group of journalists protested against Lalvani's killing and carried out a march after his funeral. They claimed that the incident was a target killing as they held the Sukkur Police responsible for the incident. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an American independent non-profit organisation, has also urged authorities in Sindh province to apprehend those responsible for the killing.

Hindu journalist killed in Pakistan's Sindh province

Four boys have been arrested on Tuesday in Pakistan for their alleged involvement in vandalising a Hindu temple in Sindh province a day before.

The felons, four boys aged 15, 13, 13 and 12 have confessed to the crime and said that they carried out the act to steal money from Mata Deval Bhittani temple in a village near Thar's Chhachro town, where idols of deities have also been desecrated.

Also Read: <a href="Hindu temple vandalised in Pakistan; PM Imran Khan orders decisive action">Hindu temple vandalised in Pakistan; PM Imran Khan orders decisive action</a>

An FIR was registered against the vandals on the directions of Thar Senior Superintendent of Police Abdullah Ahmedyar on Monday. The accused were arrested by the Tharparkar police soon after.

After visiting the temple, Chhachro station house office Hussain Bux Rajar claimed that the incident was aimed at disturbing the communal harmony of the area where Muslims and Hindus have been living together peacefully for decades.

Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister on Human Rights, Advocate Veerji Kolhi reassured the masses and asked the people of all communities to stay calm. He promised that those responsible for attempting to disturb communal peace in the area will be brought to justice.

Four boys have been arrested on Tuesday in Pakistan for their alleged involvement in vandalising a Hindu temple in Sindh province a day before. The felons, four boys aged 15, 13, 13 and 12 have confessed to the crime and said that they carried out the act to steal money from Mata Deval Bhittani temple in a village near Thar's Chhachro town, where idols of deities have also been desecrated.

Four boys have been arrested on Tuesday in Pakistan for their alleged involvement in vandalising a Hindu temple in Sindh province a day before. The felons, four boys aged 15, 13, 13 and 12 have confessed to the crime and said that they carried out the act to steal money from Mata Deval Bhittani temple in a village near Thar's Chhachro town, where idols of deities have also been desecrated. Also Read: Hindu temple vandalised in Pakistan; PM Imran Khan orders decisive action An FIR was registered against the vandals on the directions of Thar Senior Superintendent of Police Abdullah Ahmedyar on Monday. The accused were arrested by the Tharparkar police soon after. After visiting the temple, Chhachro station house office Hussain Bux Rajar claimed that the incident was aimed at disturbing the communal harmony of the area where Muslims and Hindus have been living together peacefully for decades. Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister on Human Rights, Advocate Veerji Kolhi reassured the masses and asked the people of all communities to stay calm. He promised that those responsible for attempting to disturb communal peace in the area will be brought to justice.

Pakistan: Police arrest 4 minors temple vandalism in Sindh

Several gatherings and rallies were held in many cities of Sindh by Jeye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), Jeye Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM), Jeye Sindh Aariser group, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mqm-p-declares-support-for-pti-to-constitute-the-central-government-156370">Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM)</a> and other organisations

Thousands of workers, office bearers and supporters of JSMM, JSQM, MQM and other nationalist organisations reached the grave of Syed in his home town Sann, a small town located in Jamshoro District of Sindh Province.

Participants of these rallies were holding the flags of Jeye Sindh and the portraits of late GM Syed, leader of JSMM Shafi Burfat and Altaf Hussain, the founder and leader of MQM. They were holding the main banner in which the pictures of GM Syed, Shafi Burfat and Altaf Hussain were printed. The banner said, "The Sindhi nation do not want to live in a terrorist, theocratic and a fascist state of Pakistan".

Founder and leader of MQM, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mqm-leader-hussain-calls-for-self-determination-for-mohajirs-under-un-charter-194881">Altaf Hussain</a> had appealed to the Sindhis and Mohajirs to celebrate the birthday of late G M Syed in great numbers and to pay tribute to him.

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چیئرمین بی این ایم خلیل بلوچ 
بلوچ اور سندهی کا عظیم مفاد اس بات کا تقاضا کرتا ہے کہ ہم اس سفاک دشمن کے خلاف جدوجہد کی مشترک صورت تلاش کریں تاکہ متحد ہوکر دشمن کا مقابلہ کریں، سرزمین اور سرزمین سے باہر دنیا میں آپسی تعاون و یکجہتی کے طاقت سے دشمن کو شکست دیں.
— JSMM Sindh (@jsmm_sindh) <a href="https://twitter.com/jsmm_sindh/status/953630094630834177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The official twitter account of JSMM posted this on the day: "Chairman BNM Khalil Baloch;The great interest of Baloch and Sindhi requires that we look for a common form of struggle against this brutal enemy so as to unite and fight the enemy, to defeat the enemy with the power of cooperation and solidarity in the world beyond the mainland and beyond."

Participants of rallies were raising slogans in favour of GM Syed, Shafi Burfat, Altaf Hussain and slain leader of JSQM, Bashir Qureshi. They were chanting slogans "We want Freedom", "Down with Pakistan", "Down with Army", "GM Syed our leader and Sindhu Desh is our fate", "Tuhunjo Desh mohunjo Desh.. Sindhu Desh" (your desh and my Desh...Sindhu Desh), "Altaf Bhai qadam badhao...hum tumhare saath hain".

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/india-news/baloch-activists-hold-anti-pakistan-protest-outside-un-office-seek-intervention-250262">Baloch activists hold anti-Pakistan protest outside UN office; seek intervention</a>

Thousands of Sindhi and Mohajir political workers and men, women, elders, youths and the people of all walks of life laid floral wreath on the shrine of late GM Syed, offered fateha and paid tribute. 
There was a pleasant demonstration of unity and harmony between Sindhis and Mohajirs at the shrine of late GM Syed.

GM Syed was the architect of "Jiy-e-Sindh" movement, aimed at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-plan-for-federal-control-over-karachi-faces-backlash-netizens-demand-separate-nation-for-sindhis-249519">achieving Sindhudesh</a>. He was also the author of more than 60 books, (with) subjects ranging from politics, religion, culture, literature and commentaries on famous poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. He was a political thinker, literary figure and mystic. He dominated the political arena of pre and post-partition era for decades, while he remained in jail for 30 years. 
GM Syed was put under house arrest; his house was declared a sub-jail. He died on April 25, 1995.

Several gatherings and rallies were held in many cities of Sindh by Jeye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), Jeye Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM), Jeye Sindh Aariser group, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and other organisations Thousands of workers, office bearers and supporters of JSMM, JSQM, MQM and other nationalist organisations reached the grave of Syed in his home town Sann, a small town located in Jamshoro District of Sindh Province.

Several gatherings and rallies were held in many cities of Sindh by Jeye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), Jeye Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM), Jeye Sindh Aariser group, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and other organisations Thousands of workers, office bearers and supporters of JSMM, JSQM, MQM and other nationalist organisations reached the grave of Syed in his home town Sann, a small town located in Jamshoro District of Sindh Province. Participants of these rallies were holding the flags of Jeye Sindh and the portraits of late GM Syed, leader of JSMM Shafi Burfat and Altaf Hussain, the founder and leader of MQM. They were holding the main banner in which the pictures of GM Syed, Shafi Burfat and Altaf Hussain were printed. The banner said, "The Sindhi nation do not want to live in a terrorist, theocratic and a fascist state of Pakistan". Founder and leader of MQM, Altaf Hussain had appealed to the Sindhis and Mohajirs to celebrate the birthday of late G M Syed in great numbers and to pay tribute to him. چیئرمین بی این ایم خلیل بلوچ بلوچ اور سندهی کا عظیم مفاد اس بات کا تقاضا کرتا ہے کہ ہم اس سفاک دشمن کے خلاف جدوجہد کی مشترک صورت تلاش کریں تاکہ متحد ہوکر دشمن کا مقابلہ کریں، سرزمین اور سرزمین سے باہر دنیا میں آپسی تعاون و یکجہتی کے طاقت سے دشمن کو شکست دیں. — JSMM Sindh (@jsmm_sindh) January 17, 2018 × The official twitter account of JSMM posted this on the day: "Chairman BNM Khalil Baloch;The great interest of Baloch and Sindhi requires that we look for a common form of struggle against this brutal enemy so as to unite and fight the enemy, to defeat the enemy with the power of cooperation and solidarity in the world beyond the mainland and beyond." Participants of rallies were raising slogans in favour of GM Syed, Shafi Burfat, Altaf Hussain and slain leader of JSQM, Bashir Qureshi. They were chanting slogans "We want Freedom", "Down with Pakistan", "Down with Army", "GM Syed our leader and Sindhu Desh is our fate", "Tuhunjo Desh mohunjo Desh.. Sindhu Desh" (your desh and my Desh...Sindhu Desh), "Altaf Bhai qadam badhao...hum tumhare saath hain". Also Read: Baloch activists hold anti-Pakistan protest outside UN office; seek intervention Thousands of Sindhi and Mohajir political workers and men, women, elders, youths and the people of all walks of life laid floral wreath on the shrine of late GM Syed, offered fateha and paid tribute. There was a pleasant demonstration of unity and harmony between Sindhis and Mohajirs at the shrine of late GM Syed. GM Syed was the architect of "Jiy-e-Sindh" movement, aimed at achieving Sindhudesh. He was also the author of more than 60 books, (with) subjects ranging from politics, religion, culture, literature and commentaries on famous poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. He was a political thinker, literary figure and mystic. He dominated the political arena of pre and post-partition era for decades, while he remained in jail for 30 years. GM Syed was put under house arrest; his house was declared a sub-jail. He died on April 25, 1995.

Sindhis celebrate 116th birth anniversary of late GM Syed with fervour

Case after case of minority Hindu girls being forcibly converted to Islam are being presented before courts in Pakistan&#39;s Sindh province, has left the community deeply unsettled and with a sense of alarm.

An article authored by freelance journalist <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/hindu-muslim-pakistan/536238/" target="_blank">Saba Imtiaz and published in The Atlantic</a>, has said, &quot;The allegedly forcible nature of the conversions, the almost identical pattern of the cases, and the targeting of minor girls have deeply unsettled the Hindu population, which constitutes about two percent of Pakistan&#39;s approximately 200 million people.&quot;

Imtiaz further goes on to state that this sense of alarm has led some Hindus to even reassess their place in Pakistan 70 years after its creation and the partition of the Indian subcontinent.

Cases of forced conversion are mostly reported from Sindh. Although Pakistan became a Muslim-majority state post-partition, with Muslims dominating politics, the economy, and society, Hindus managed to retain a degree of social influence in Sindh province, where they were known as successful merchants.

The discrimination that this minority community faces in Pakistan is with those who are declared lower-caste and have low incomes.

According to Imtiaz, this section of Hindus in Sindh experiences a form of economic servitude.

&quot;They face social discrimination and are often cut off from the Hindu community at large. A 2015 report by the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan argued that social, cultural, economic, and religious factors have combined with feudal power structures in rural areas to enable forcible conversions,&quot; she says.

According to the most recent available census, over six percent of Sindh&#39;s population is Hindu.

&quot;Today, Pakistan&#39;s identity is that of an Islamic nationalist state, hard-line religious groups are a formidable force, and religious minorities have little voice in society. As influential Islamic shrines and religious groups work to convert people to Islam, some Hindus are leaving their villages and moving to cities in Pakistan, or leaving Pakistan altogether and moving to India, &quot;she says.

Hindu activists and families allege that young girls are abducted, coerced into converting to Islam, and married off to Muslim men in an organized manner.

Muslim religious activists and leaders are defensive about conversions, believing that converting someone to Islam is a way of earning blessings.

These conversions are often backed by powerful shrines, seminaries, and clerics, as well as local politicians. Seminaries and shrines protect the couple and say the girl willingly eloped, converted, and married.

This dichotomy poses a challenge for both lawyers and activists, who have to figure out if these marriages are born of free will or are marked by threats and violence.

And, according to Imtiaz, who is based in the Middle East, and has authored two books - &quot;Karachi, You&#39;re Killing Me!&quot; and &quot;No Team of Angels&quot;, almost invariably, the girl&#39;s testimony that she exercised her right as an adult to marry settles the case, while her parents continue to insist she is being pressured by influential followers of the shrine where she converted to Islam.

Forced conversions has been a national talking point since 2012, when three Hindu girls were reported to have been forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim men.

The cases went to Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court. One of them was a girl called Rinkle Kumari, whose conversion took place at a shrine associated with a legislator who was then part of the Pakistan People&#39;s Party, which governed the country at the time.

In court, the women said they wanted to live with their husbands, though activist Mangla Sharma, a member of the Pakistan Hindu Council, told me Kumari wanted to go back to her parents. The court said the women were free to be with their Muslim husbands.

Young girls aren&#39;t the only ones being targeted for conversion, as according to Imtiaz, mass conversions of Hindu families are taking place in Sindh.

The Sindh legislature passed a bill in 2016 outlawing forcible conversions and conversions before the age of 18. The landmark legislation faced instant criticism from hard-line religious groups-including the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, widely believed to be the public face of the militant network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is accused of carrying out the 2008 attacks on landmarks in Mumbai. Right-wing groups banded together to form an opposition movement.

The outcry led to the Sindh governor declining to sign the bill into law.

In the absence of a law explicitly banning forced conversions, activists and lawyers are zeroing in on the cases of minor girls, using a different law that outlaws all marriage in Sindh below the age of 18.

Young girls aren&#39;t the only ones being targeted for conversion. Mass conversions of Hindu families are taking place in Sindh, and many are reported to be lower-caste Hindus. Seminaries and clerics offer money and housing to new Muslim converts; they issue press releases when they convert someone to Islam, believing this to be a considerable achievement.

It&#39;s unclear how and when forced conversions became such an organized movement. Most activists say this change has taken place over the past 15 years. The spate of conversions to Islam is changing the way Hindus live in a province that has been their home for generations.

Accurate counts of the Hindus leaving their villages are difficult to come by, as there is only anecdotal evidence. As for Hindus leaving Pakistan altogether and migrating to India, one estimate put the number at 5,000 per year, says Imtiaz.

Currently, a sense of antagonism prevails between Hindus and Muslims in Pakistan, and this has increased in the last 10 or 15 years.

Cases of forced conversion are mostly reported from Sindh

Case after case of minority Hindu girls being forcibly converted to Islam are being presented before courts in Pakistan's Sindh province, has left the community deeply unsettled and with a sense of alarm. An article authored by freelance journalist Saba Imtiaz and published in The Atlantic, has said, "The allegedly forcible nature of the conversions, the almost identical pattern of the cases, and the targeting of minor girls have deeply unsettled the Hindu population, which constitutes about two percent of Pakistan's approximately 200 million people." Imtiaz further goes on to state that this sense of alarm has led some Hindus to even reassess their place in Pakistan 70 years after its creation and the partition of the Indian subcontinent. Cases of forced conversion are mostly reported from Sindh. Although Pakistan became a Muslim-majority state post-partition, with Muslims dominating politics, the economy, and society, Hindus managed to retain a degree of social influence in Sindh province, where they were known as successful merchants. The discrimination that this minority community faces in Pakistan is with those who are declared lower-caste and have low incomes. According to Imtiaz, this section of Hindus in Sindh experiences a form of economic servitude. "They face social discrimination and are often cut off from the Hindu community at large. A 2015 report by the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan argued that social, cultural, economic, and religious factors have combined with feudal power structures in rural areas to enable forcible conversions," she says. According to the most recent available census, over six percent of Sindh's population is Hindu. "Today, Pakistan's identity is that of an Islamic nationalist state, hard-line religious groups are a formidable force, and religious minorities have little voice in society. As influential Islamic shrines and religious groups work to convert people to Islam, some Hindus are leaving their villages and moving to cities in Pakistan, or leaving Pakistan altogether and moving to India, "she says. Hindu activists and families allege that young girls are abducted, coerced into converting to Islam, and married off to Muslim men in an organized manner. Muslim religious activists and leaders are defensive about conversions, believing that converting someone to Islam is a way of earning blessings. These conversions are often backed by powerful shrines, seminaries, and clerics, as well as local politicians. Seminaries and shrines protect the couple and say the girl willingly eloped, converted, and married. This dichotomy poses a challenge for both lawyers and activists, who have to figure out if these marriages are born of free will or are marked by threats and violence. And, according to Imtiaz, who is based in the Middle East, and has authored two books - "Karachi, You're Killing Me!" and "No Team of Angels", almost invariably, the girl's testimony that she exercised her right as an adult to marry settles the case, while her parents continue to insist she is being pressured by influential followers of the shrine where she converted to Islam. Forced conversions has been a national talking point since 2012, when three Hindu girls were reported to have been forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim men. The cases went to Pakistan's Supreme Court. One of them was a girl called Rinkle Kumari, whose conversion took place at a shrine associated with a legislator who was then part of the Pakistan People's Party, which governed the country at the time. In court, the women said they wanted to live with their husbands, though activist Mangla Sharma, a member of the Pakistan Hindu Council, told me Kumari wanted to go back to her parents. The court said the women were free to be with their Muslim husbands. Young girls aren't the only ones being targeted for conversion, as according to Imtiaz, mass conversions of Hindu families are taking place in Sindh. The Sindh legislature passed a bill in 2016 outlawing forcible conversions and conversions before the age of 18. The landmark legislation faced instant criticism from hard-line religious groups-including the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, widely believed to be the public face of the militant network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is accused of carrying out the 2008 attacks on landmarks in Mumbai. Right-wing groups banded together to form an opposition movement. The outcry led to the Sindh governor declining to sign the bill into law. In the absence of a law explicitly banning forced conversions, activists and lawyers are zeroing in on the cases of minor girls, using a different law that outlaws all marriage in Sindh below the age of 18. Young girls aren't the only ones being targeted for conversion. Mass conversions of Hindu families are taking place in Sindh, and many are reported to be lower-caste Hindus. Seminaries and clerics offer money and housing to new Muslim converts; they issue press releases when they convert someone to Islam, believing this to be a considerable achievement. It's unclear how and when forced conversions became such an organized movement. Most activists say this change has taken place over the past 15 years. The spate of conversions to Islam is changing the way Hindus live in a province that has been their home for generations. Accurate counts of the Hindus leaving their villages are difficult to come by, as there is only anecdotal evidence. As for Hindus leaving Pakistan altogether and migrating to India, one estimate put the number at 5,000 per year, says Imtiaz. Currently, a sense of antagonism prevails between Hindus and Muslims in Pakistan, and this has increased in the last 10 or 15 years.

Forced conversion of Hindu girls raises alarm in Pakistan's minority community