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The parliamentary committee appointed by President Asif Ali Zardari to look into the grievances of the Hindu community in Pakistan has presented a preliminary report. Zardari had appointed a four-member committee comprising Senator Maula Bux Chandio, MNA Lal Chand, Senator Hari Ram Kishori Lal and Dr Khatumal Jeewan on August 10 to visit various districts of Sindh and meet the people from Hindu community and report on their grievances. Senator Chandio claimed that some Hindus had complained about abduction of their girls and their forcible conversion to Islam, which had caused resentment and sense of insecurity among them. The committee report said that the incident of Manisha Kumari's conversion to Islam led to protests by members of the Hindu community and subsequent registration of cases against 28 Hindus for violation of 144 CrPC by the local police in Jacobabad also added to the Hindu grievances, the Daily Times reports. The committee also briefed the president about some recent incidents involving members of the Hindu community, which included an incident when the immigration authorities in Lahore stopped 222 Pakistani Hindus from entering India on August 10 even though they had valid visit visas for India . However, later on, after a necessary enquiry by the FIA and the fact that they all possessed valid visas, the Hindu pilgrims were allowed to visit India for a Teerath Yatra. The committee said that since the Hindus were regularly visiting India for religious purpose, they protested against the concerned authorities for the unusual act of stopping them.

Insecurity among Hindus in Sindh growing