India asks Pakistan to protect minorities

 India on Wednesday asked Pakistan government to discharge its constitutional responsibilities and protect the rights of its minority communities.

“While it is our hope that the Government of Pakistan will discharge its constitutional duties towards its minority communities, in view of the purely humanitarian nature of this issue, we appeal to the people and Government of Pakistan to take all possible steps to protect the constitutional rights of their minorities by ensuring their safety, security and well being,” said External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

The external affairs minister said: “India is concerned over reports about incidents of persecution and intimidation of the minority communities in Pakistan.”He referred to the recent incident of three Hindu girls in Sindh province (of Pakistan) being reportedly abducted and married against their will to Muslim men after being forcefully converted to Islam. He also alluded to reports of kidnapping and killing of members of the minority communities.