Hindu minister attacked in Sindh: Religious identity sparked targeted violence against minority leader

Case ID : aa4af58 | Location : Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan | Date of Incident : Fri, 18 April, 2025

Case ID : aa4af58

Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan

18 April, 2025

Hindu minister attacked in Sindh: Religious identity sparked targeted violence against minority leader

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

Protestors in Pakistan's Sindh province attacked Kheal Das Kohistani, a Hindu state minister and member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), during a demonstration against a new canal project. The incident occurred while Kohistani’s convoy was passing through Thatta district. Protestors pelted his convoy with tomatoes and potatoes and shouted slogans against the federal government. The minister was on an official visit at the time of the attack. Authorities confirmed that Kohistani was unharmed in the incident. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reportedly spoke to Kohistani over the phone and assured him of a thorough investigation. He stated that attacks on elected representatives were unacceptable and promised that those responsible would be punished. Information Minister Atta Tarar asked for a report from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Sindh, Ghulam Nabi Memon, and the federal Home Secretary. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also condemned the incident and instructed the DIG of Hyderabad region to arrest those involved and submit a detailed report. Kohistani hails from Jamshoro district in Sindh and was first elected to the National Assembly in 2018. After completing his five-year term, he was re-elected in 2024 and appointed as Minister of State for Religious Affairs. The attack on Kohistani came shortly after a controversial statement made by Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir at the Overseas Pakistan Convention, where he remarked that Muslims were fundamentally different from Hindus in religion, customs, traditions, thoughts, and aspirations, emphasising the ideological divide.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack not resulting in death. The sub-category relevant in this case is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. The attack on Kheal Das Kohistani, a Hindu state minister in Pakistan, can be classified as a hate crime because it targeted him on the basis of his religious identity. Although the immediate context was a protest against a canal project, Kohistani’s Hindu identity made him particularly vulnerable, especially in a region where minorities have historically faced systematic persecution and violence. The incident fits the pattern of attacks where Hindus are targeted not for any individual provocation, but simply for their religious background—a hallmark of hate crimes motivated by religious supremacy. Such attacks are designed to intimidate and marginalise minority communities, reinforcing their sense of insecurity and exclusion within society. It aligns with documented practices of targeted violence against minorities, where even elected representatives are not shielded from faith-based hostility. The incident occurred amid heightened religious polarisation following divisive statements by officials, illustrating how institutional rhetoric exacerbates vulnerabilities. Despite swift condemnations from federal and provincial authorities, the recurrence of such attacks highlights systemic failures in safeguarding minorities, as protection mechanisms remain reactive rather than preventive. The lack of robust institutional safeguards perpetuates an environment where religious identity alone can provoke aggression, mirroring patterns seen in abductions and forced conversions of Hindu minorities, which often occur with impunity.