Daily Times

16 September 2019, Dr. Nimerta Chandani, a medical student at Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU)’s Bibi Aseefa Dental College Larkana was found dead in her hostel’s room and the status of her death was labeled as suicide by the concerned authorities just to keep away from any responsibility as it was basically a murder case. According to her post-mortem report, it was not a suicide.

According to his brother Dr. Vishal, she was reported to become a sexual harassment victim. It was reported that there were strangulation marks on her neck and these indicate that this was not a suicide attempt. She was tied with a rope and hung when a security guard just rushed into her locked room and her friends were worried when she was not opening the door. Police started an investigation and till now they haven’t given any clue either it was a suicide or murder.

If it was a suicide then she must have any depression or anxiety signs, she must be dealing with any serious issue before her death but she was calm and cool without any tension as her friends told. Neither had she any academic stress that is nowadays a major reason behind suicide attempts in youth. If all these reasons are neglected, then this a clear evidence that it was a murder case. And if it is true then what we have done with our narrative of protecting minorities in Pakistan as the case of her death has now taken a religious cover and people are not forcing for her to seek justice as she was a Hindu girl. This is an alarming situation in the behaviors of the public. She was first and human, she was a girl, and she had life and right to live with freedom as our constitution and Islam provides asylum in an Islamic state.

Nimerta is not the first case of minority case victims in Pakistan. Massive numbers of cases are reported about torture and deaths of minorities and our extremist behavior is the only reason behind it. If any Muslim has a personal issue with any non-Muslim then a trend is developed to tag that person with blasphemy for an act of revenge. In the case of women minorities, we can see incidents like Nimerta murder in the country. Even after the brutal act, they are not given justice.

The population of Hindus is 6.51% of the total Sindh population. It has been also reported by one Hindu community activist that Hindu girls are raped and abducted at gunpoint and are forced to marry Muslims even if they are already married. A bill has been presented by the party ruling Sindh that children under age 18 are not allowed to marry but in the same province where they have gained a majority of seats in the election, Hindu girls are converted to Islam by marrying Muslims. Sikh community is also under threat in KPK. He also mentioned a case of Christian women, a mother of three was forced to marry and convert into Islam.

A single incident out of this population or any other minority in any other province can deteriorate the image of the country as it will be considered that Lahore resolution is not advocating minorities safeguard and their cultural, economic, political and basic rights. After viewing all these sad spectacles, there is a need to initiate National Minorities commission as well as passing criminal law under Minorities Affairs ministry headed by minority community and whatever they propose a suggestion for protection should be implemented by the government.