Imran Khan named & shamed; USCIRF troubled by food denial to Pakistan Hindus, Christians

Amid testing times when world grapples with COVID-19 pandemic which has taken humanity hostage,  US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Monday shed light on troubling reports of "food aid being denied to minority Hindus and Christians in Pakistan" amid coronavirus outbreak in country.

"se actions are simply reprehensible. As COVID-19 continues to spre, vulnerable communities within Pakistan are fighting hunger and to keep ir families safe and healthy, food aid must not be denied because of one’s faith. We urge Pakistani government to ensure that food aid from distributing organizations is shared equally with Hindus, Christians, and or religions minorities," USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava said.

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USCIRF noted incidents in Karachi where re have been reports of an NGO called Saylani Welfare International Trust established to assist homeless and seasonal workers has been refusing food assistance to Hindus and Christians, allegedly arguing that aid is "reserved for Muslims alone".

USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore said: "In a recent dress by Prime Minister Khan (Imran Khan) to international community, he highlighted that challenge facing governments in developing world is to save people from dying of hunger while also trying to halt spre of COVID-19."

"This is a monumental task laying before many countries. Prime Minister Khan's government has opportunity to le  way but y must not leave religious minorities behind. Orwise, y may d on top of it all one more crisis, created by religious discrimination and inter-communal strife," ded Moore.

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Pakistan's atrocities on minorities

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF h noted that Hindus, Christians and or minority religions in Pakistan "face continued threats to ir security and are subjected to various forms of harassment and social exclusion."

Pakistan has time and again been exposed over its brutality towards minorities and attacks on m while Pakistani government keeping its mouth shut on atrocities on minorities. Besides latest reports of discrimination over food aid, Pakistan h earlier resorted to attacks on Sikh Gurudwara, kidnapping and forced conversion of Hindu and Sikh girls to Islam and also killing of minorities.