Lahore, May 30 (IANS) Pakistani minorities, including Sikhs and Hindus, are living in constant fear ever since the attack Friday by Taliban guerrillas at two mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect in which at least 90 people were killed.
Pakistani Minorities Council (PMC) chairman Sardar Bhishan Singh said the incident had exposed the fact that minorities were not being fully protected by the government.
‘The enemies of Pakistan exploit such security lapses and attack minorities without fear of repercussions… the government should realise how important it is to treat all citizens equally,’ Daily Times quoted him as saying.
He said Pakistan’s Sikh community strongly condemned the terror attacks and demanded that the government provide proper security at several temples and churches in Lahore.
In Friday’s attack, Taliban guerrillas wearing suicide vests fired indiscriminately and lobbed grenades as they stormed two mosques of the Ahmadi sect and took worshipers hostage. The gunmen were neutralised by the security forces after a fierce gunbattle.
Pakistan Hindu Welfare Council president Manohar Chand said no citizen of Pakistan from a minority community felt secure after Friday’s attacks.
He added that police check posts should be set up around minorities’ worship places in the country.
‘Words cannot make up for the lives lost on Friday… people of all faiths are praying that the souls of those who lost their lives may rest in peace. The situation is getting worse day by day and the government cannot afford any more incidents of negligence on its part with regards to the security arrangements for minorities in the country,’ he said.
