Pakistan: Women's Action Forum raises demand for protection of minorities

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 3 : Women's Action Forum (WAF) has raised the demand for effective protection for Pakistan's religious minorities, Dawn reported.

In the statement, the Women's Action Forum said it was deeply saddened by the rise in target killing incidents of members of Pakistan's minorities. Women's Action Forum offered condolences to the family and friends of Dayaal Singh and Kashif Masif, who they said were killed in targeted killing.

Women's Action Forum said, "We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of shopkeeper Dayaal Singh, target-killed in Peshawar on March 31 and Kashif Masih, a Christian station worker of PMC, target-killed on April 1 in Peshawar."

It further said, "Likewise, we offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the eminent Sindhi ophthalmologist, Dr Birbal Gin Meghwarr, a prominent member of the Hindu-Scheduled Castes (SCs) community, target-killed in Karachi on March 30."

On Friday, unidentified gunmen killed a member of the minority community in the Pishtakhara region in Peshawar, Dawn reported citing police. Pishtakhara police station officials said that Kashif Masih, a resident of Benaras Abad locality of the Academy town was heading home from work when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at him in a residential area.

A police official said that they had lodged an FIR against unknown people. The police official further said, "We have recovered two empties of a 30 caliber weapon from the spot and have obtained the CCTV footage." Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan condemned the killing and ordered the police to arrest the culprits, according to Dawn report.

On Friday, a Sikh shopkeeper was killed by an unknown assailant in the Garhi Ata Mohammad area on the outskirts in Peshawar, Dawn reported citing the police. The police said an unidentified motorcyclist opened fire on Dayal Singh, killing him on the spot.

Speaking to Dawn, SP Saddar Malik Habib said, "The assailant parked his motorcycle outside Singh's shop and fire two shots from a pistol." Malik further said that Singh received bullets in his head and chest.

On Thursday, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) senior director of health and eye specialist Dr Birbal Gen was shot dead by unknown assailants in Karachi, Geo News reported.

According to the police, Dr Birbal Gen and his assistant lady doctor were travelling to Gulshan-e-Iqbal from Ramswamy when unidentified men targeted their car near Garden interchange on the Lyari Expressway, as per the Geo News report. Dr Gen died on the spot while his assistant lady doctor sustained bullet injuries.

After receiving information regarding the incident, the police and the rescue officials reached the site and took the body and the injured to the hospital, as per the news report. The CCTV footage of the incident showed Dr Gen's car moving uncontrollably and smashing into a wall. The police officer said that they have started an investigation into the murder.

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