There have been reports of atrocities against minority communities in Pakistan, including against the members of Hindu community, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha.
The Ministry of External Affairs was asked whether the government is aware that the minority Hindu community is continuously migrating from the Sindh province "due to violence and discrimination against the Hindu community in the neighbouring country Pakistan".
"There have been reports of atrocities against minority communities in Pakistan, including against the members of Hindu community. Incidents such as intimidation, abduction, persecution, forced conversions and forced marriages, which compel them to migrate, have been reported from time to time," Singh said.
The minister was asked whether the government has any data on Hindus migrating from Pakistan to India.
"Several members of the minority Hindu community in Pakistan apply for Indian visas at the High Commission of India in Islamabad, which are processed as per extant rules. Some of them who entered India on valid visas have not gone back to Pakistan on the grounds of religious persecution. Hindu migrants from Pakistan, seeking permanent settlement with a view to acquire Indian citizenship, are eligible for grant of Long Term Visa (LTV) as per extant provisions," he said.
