Hindu man en route to India to attend Kumbh Mela abducted from immigration office in Pakistan

Case ID : 90a0915 | Location : Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan | Date of Incident : Mon, 24 February, 2025

Case ID : 90a0915

Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

24 February, 2025

Hindu man en route to India to attend Kumbh Mela abducted from immigration office in Pakistan

Undecided cases

Attacks against Hindus in Muslim majority nations

Case Summary

A Hindu youth, Om Prakash Kumar, was abducted by unidentified men just minutes before he and his family were set to cross the Wagah border to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela in India. The incident occurred at the Wagah border immigration office on the Lahore side. According to his sister, Nirmala, a group of plainclothes men approached Om Prakash at the immigration office, confiscated his mobile phone, visa, and passport, and led him to another room. Nirmala later reached out to the Pakistani Hindu rights organization, Pakistan Darawar Ittehad, recounting her ordeal. She stated that officials at the immigration office instructed her and her parents to return home. Meanwhile, the unidentified men took Om Prakash to an undisclosed location, and he has not been seen since. After waiting in vain for his return, Nirmala pleaded with Pakistani authorities to locate her brother. Hindus in Pakistan continue to face severe persecution, including systemic discrimination, violence, and forced conversions. Hindu women, particularly young girls, are frequently abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off with little legal recourse. Temples are often vandalized, and Hindu communities suffer social and economic marginalization. Blasphemy laws are disproportionately weaponized against Hindus, leading to false accusations and harsh punishments. Many Hindu families are forced to flee their homes due to religious intolerance, living in fear of attacks. This sustained oppression underscores the precarious conditions for Hindus in Pakistan, where their religious identity makes them frequent targets of persecution.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

Here, Om Prakash was a Hindu citizen of Pakistan, a group that faces systemic discrimination, abductions, and forced conversions. He was specifically en route to Maha Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu pilgrimage, which may have made him a target for radical elements or authorities with an anti-Hindu bias. There have been cases where Pakistani agencies or extremist groups have prevented Hindus from traveling to India, fearing religious or ideological shifts. Further, there have also been multiple documented instances where Pakistani Hindus trying to migrate or visit India were harassed, stopped, or abducted under dubious circumstances. Though there is a precedent of Hindus being persecuted and targeted for their religious identity in Pakistan, in this case, there is no concrete evidence to establish religious motivation—such as the use of caste-based slurs or direct threats referencing his Hindu faith. Additionally, there is no explicit mention of religious coercion, forced conversion attempts, or statements indicating hostility toward Hindu beliefs. While religious targeting is likely, it is also possible that the abduction was linked to non-religious factors. This is why, as of now, this case has been added to the 'Undecided' database. If further details emerge that suggest religious intent, the case will be re-evaluated and shifted to the 'Hate Crime' database accordingly.