A heated exchange of words between Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and a Pakistani minister on Sunday added fuel to the fire in escalating tensions between India and Pakistan since the Pulwama terror attack that happened last month on February 14.
It all started with Sushma tweeting a news report on kidnapping two Hindu girls while they were celebrating Holi in Pakistan’s Sindh province. “I have asked Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to send a report on this,” she wrote on Twitter.
I have asked Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to send a report on this. @IndiainPakistan
Two Hindu girls abducted on Holi eve in Pakistan's Sindh https://t.co/r4bTBSoy9d via @TOIWorld— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 24, 2019
The tweet received an instant response from Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Ch Fawad Hussain. “Mam its Pakistan internal issue and rest assure its not Modi’s India where minorities are subjugated. its Imran Khan’s Naya Pak where the white colour of our flag is equally dearer to us. I hope you will act with the same diligence when it comes to rights of Indian Minorities (sic),” he said.
Mam its Pakistin internal issue and rest assure its not Modi’s India where minorities are subjugated its Imran Khan’s Naya Pak where white color of our flag is equally dearer to us.I hope you ll act with same diligence when it comes to rights of Indian Minorities https://t.co/MQC1AnnmGR
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 24, 2019
Sushma responded instantly by saying: “Mr Minister – I only asked for a report from Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad about the kidnapping and forced conversion of two minor Hindu girls to Islam. This was enough to make you jittery. This only shows your guilty conscience,” she said, tagging Imran Khan and the Indian High Commission.
Mr.Minister @fawadchaudhry – I only asked for a report from Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad about the kidnapping and forced conversion of two minor Hindu girls to Islam. This was enough to make you jittery. This only shows your guilty conscience. @IndiainPakistan
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 24, 2019
Sources said that abduction cases of Hindu girls from the economically backward sections of the society are being repeated in the districts of Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar and Umerkot in Sindh, near to the Indian border and things are happening behind the scenes, many of which go unnoticed or unreported.
It should be noted that three districts- Mirpurkhas (33% Hindus), Tharparkar (36%) and Umerkot (49%) make up the Hindu community in Sindh.
Also read: 2 Hindu girls kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam on the occasion of Holi, in Pak Punjab
A 2014 report from the Movement for Solidarity and Peace calculated that nearly 1,000 non-Muslim girls are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan each year.
Hussain also reacted to Sushma’s last remarks citing the treatment given to Muslims in Gujarat and Jammu in the past.
“Madam Minister I am happy that in the Indian administration we have people who care for minority rights in other countries. I sincerely hope that your conscience will allow you to stand up for minorities at home as well. Gujarat and Jammu must weigh heavily on your soul,” he wrote.
Madam Minister I am happy that in the Indian administration we have people who care for minority rights in other countries. I sincerely hope that your conscience will allow you to stand up for minorities at home as well. Gujarat and Jammu must weigh heavily on your soul. https://t.co/7D0vMiUI42
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 24, 2019
