A Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Sindh province was attacked with rocket launchers on Sunday by a gang of dacoits, in the second such attack in less than two days.
The attack comes days after warnings from dacoits over attacks against Hindu temples in retaliation to Seema Haider’s PUBG love story.
Overview
The assailants launched the attack on a small temple built by the local Hindu community and homes owned by them in the Kashmore area of Sindh.
Kashmore-Kandhkot SSP Irfan Sammo said that eight to nine gunmen fired “rocket launchers” at the temple considered sacred by the Bagri community.
The dacoits fired indiscriminately and fled from the scene after the attack when a police party led by SSP Sammo arrived.
As the rocket launchers that were fired failed to explode, no loss of life was reported.
A Hindu temple was attacked with rocket launchers by a gang of dacoits in the Southern Sindh Province of #Pakistan, in the second such incident of vandalism of a place of worship belonging to the minority community in less than two days.https://t.co/hSGwnybNeh
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) July 16, 2023
Additionally, on Friday night, the old Mari Mata Temple in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar was razed to the ground. The temple was said to be in poor condition and is said to have been over 150 years old. It is alleged that bulldozers and diggers arrived with police cover to undertake the operation when the area was without electricity.
Seema Haider PUBG Case
The attack comes days after warnings from dacoits in Kashmore and Ghotki riverine areas of attacks on Hindu temples in retaliation to the Seema Haider PUBG love story that recently came to light.
Seema, a mother of four in Pakistan, allegedly left her husband and came to India to live with a Hindu man she met via the online game PUBG in 2019.
A 30-year-old Pakistani Muslim woman, Haider, entered India illegally via Nepal to marry 25-year-old Sachin Meena, a resident of Greater Noida, according to Hindu rituals and started living in the Rabupura village in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Budh Nagar district from 13 May.
Upon receiving information about Haider, police arrested the couple on 4 July. The pair confessed their love to the media and police and urged the government to allow them to stay together in India, and were released on bail.
Hindu Temple In Pakistan's Sindh Attacked With Rocket Launchers https://t.co/OiP9k5ZEab pic.twitter.com/ZWr8KMLvUL
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 17, 2023
Threats and Warnings
The traffic control room of the Mumbai Police received threats from an unidentified person, who warned that a 26/11-like terror attack would take place if Haider did not return to Pakistan. Investigation is underway in the case with speculation on whether the Pakistani woman would be deported to her native country.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also expressed concerns about the law-and-order situation in Kashmore and Ghotki.
The commission said, “We have received disturbing reports that these gangs have threatened to attack the community’s sites of worship, using high-grade weapons.”
The HRCP said that around 30 Hindu community members — including women and children — have allegedly been held hostage by an organised criminal gang.
Furthermore, the commission urged the Sindh Home Department to investigate this matter immediately and take steps to protect all vulnerable citizens in these areas.