Two Hindu officers were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Pakistan Army in a rare recognition for Pakistan’s minority Hindu community which often comes under Islamist assault.  Both officers are residents of Sindh, a southern province where 90 percent of the country’s Hindu population live.

Major Aneel Kumar and Major Dr. Kailash Kumar were both inducted into the army in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Their promotion came a few weeks after Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javad Bajwa in an address to the Hindu community said they are equal citizens of Pakistan, which is constitutionally an Islamic Republic. 

Major Kaislash hails from Sindh’s Tharparkar, a district some 450 km east of Karachi, and is predominantly populated by the Hindu community. Earlier this month, General Bajwa visited the troops in the area and also met with local Hindus in the community. 

Major Aneel Kumar, another officer who was promoted, is from the Badin district. 

Ramesh Vankwani, the head of Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), congratulated both officers in a tweet and said, “(the) Pakistan Army provides merit-based equal opportunity to all.” 

Congratulating the two officers, Fawad Chaudhary, who is Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Technology, called them “pride” of the country. 

(SAM)