A farmworker’s family from the Hindu community was allegedly tortured by some village landlords for “violating the sanctity” of the mosque after they obtained water from a mosque’s tap, Dawn reported.
The incident happened a few days back when Alam Ram Bheel, a resident of Basti Kahoor Khan in the city suburbs, was picking raw cotton (phutti) with his family members, including his wife, in a field of Chak 106-P.
Ram said his family went to a nearby mosque to fetch water to drink from a tap, after which some local landlords and their men beat them up. When the family was going back home after unloading the picked cotton, the landlords held them hostage at their dera (outhouse) and beat them again.
Later, some Muslim residents of Basti Kahoor Khan got the Bheel family released.
Ram Bheel said the Airport police station did not file the case as the people who attacked were related to a local PTI parliamentarian.
Ram said he held a sit-in outside the police station to protest the arrogance.
Also a member of the district peace committee, Peter Jhon Bheel told Dawn that they approached PTI MNA Javed Warriach who helped them register the FIR on Friday.
Jhon said he requested other members of the district peace committee to discuss the issue in a meeting but they did not take him seriously.
PTI’s South Punjab Minority Wing Secretary General Yodhister Chohan told Dawn that he knew about the incident but due to the influence of a ruling party MP, he preferred to stay away.
District Police Officer Asad Sarfraz said that he was looking into the matter.
Deputy Commissioner Dr Khuram Shehzad said he would meet Hindu minority elders on Monday (today) before taking any action.
