Islamabad, April 22: A young Hindu businessman, identified by the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) as Vishal Kumar, was shot dead in broad daylight on Wednesday in Sukkur, Sindh, in an attack that has intensified fears about the safety of minority communities across Pakistan. VOPM said armed assailants stormed Vishal’s shop, opened fire in front of onlookers and fled the scene, leaving him critically injured; he later died, leaving a wife, children and a grieving family.
Eyewitnesses cited by the rights group described the shooting as indiscriminate and sudden, with neighbors left horrified by the violence. VOPM said the attackers remain at large, a fact it said “mocks the very idea of justice” for victims and their families.
The rights body painted a picture of a city shaken by fear: “Sukkur, once a vibrant hub, now cowers under a shadow of dread. Parents clutch their children closer, shopkeepers bolt doors early, and minorities like Vishal — a Hindu in a troubled land — live in constant terror,” the VOPM said, quoting a neighbor’s cry, “How can we sleep at night?”
Local authorities initially described the incident as a “robbery gone wrong,” a characterization rejected by Vishal’s brother and relayed by VOPM. “Nothing was stolen! They shot him point‑blank, execution‑style. This was no robbery-it was a hit!” the brother is quoted as saying.
VOPM said the killing has deeply shaken the Hindu community in Sindh and warned that repeated daylight attacks, botched investigations and the rise of criminal gangs have left communities living in anxiety. The rights group urged swift, transparent action, echoing experts and civil society who demand that authorities determine the real motive, pursue the killers and restore public safety “before Sukkur descends into anarchy.”
Stressing that Vishal’s death is not merely a statistic but a devastating loss for his family and the city’s sense of security, VOPM asked whether authorities will act “before the next bullet flies,” saying Sukkur now waits in terrified silence. IANS
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/04/22/hindu-businessman-brutally-killed-in-pakistan-rights-body-raises-alarm/
Category: NATIONAL,News Alert
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Publish Date: 2026-04-22 21:18:00
