Islamabad: An 18-year-old Hindu girl was gunned down in Sukkur district of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province after she turned down a Muslim man’s proposal to marry him. Pooja Kumari’s death is a stark reminder of the plight of Hindu minorities in Pakistan’s increasingly intolerant atmosphere where radical religious and sectarian groups have become more prominent in recent years.
According to police, assailant Wahid Bux Lashari and two associates broke into Kumari’s house to abduct her and then shot her fatally. Lashari wanted to marry the teenager, but she refused, said Bashir Jagirani, SHO at a local police station. “He got angry after she resisted. He opened fire, leaving the girl dead on the spot,” Jagirani said. Lashari was arrested and a court remanded him in police custody for 10 days. Kumari’s murder drew condemnation on social media, with #JusticeforPooja trending on Twitter.
