[DAWN] GHOTKI: Communal tensions ran high in Sindh's Ghotki district on Wednesday, after a Hindu man was juggedDon't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
for allegedly desecrating the Holy Koran a day earlier.
Two Hindu men were shot having tea at a stall in Ghotki's town of Mirpur Mathelo during an attack by a mob Wednesday. One of the victims, 17-year-old Dewan Sateesh Kumar, departed this vale of tears while his friend Avinash is in a critical condition, police said.
Local leaders of the Hindu community while talking to journalists here demanded protection of their lives and properties in wake of the tensions.
"A local trader Dewan Satesh Kumar has been killed," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ghotki Masood Ahmed Bangash told Dawn.
He said police with the help of Rangers are trying to diffuse the tense situation, which emerged after villagers in Mehran Samejo near Daharki "caught" a Hindu man desecrating pages of the Koran.
Locals told Dawn that the Hindu suspect, Amar Lal, is a drug addict who had begun living in a mosque after converting to Islam a few month ago, adding that his mental condition is "unstable".
Bilawal condemns unrest in Ghotki
Pakistain People's Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday took notice of unrest in Ghotki district and directed the concerned officials to ensure community's protection in the district.
According to a statement issued by Bilawal House Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
's media team, Bhutto-Zardari directed PPP MNA Ramesh Lal to visit the victim's family and offer condolences and solidarity on his behalf.
The PPP chairman asked Sindh government to maintain communal harmony in Ghotki.
"Antisocial elements are fanning hatred and violence," the statement quoted Bhutto-Zardari, adding, "Nobody should be allowed to take the law into his hands."