Key Points
A young Hindu farmer, Kailash Kohli, 25, was shot dead on January 4, 2026, in Pakistan’s Sindh province by feudal lord Sarfaraz Nizamani over a construction dispute. The killing occurred in Raho Kolhi village in the Piru Lashkari area.
The murder triggered widespread protests across Sindh, with demonstrators gathering in huge numbers demanding the arrest of Sarfaraz Nizamani and an end to atrocities against Hindu minorities in Pakistan. Sit-in protests were organised on major roads, including the Badin-Hyderabad National Highway.
Human rights and minority groups strongly condemned the incident, calling it an attack on humanity and the fundamental rights of minorities in Sindh. Protest leaders stated that demonstrations would continue until the perpetrators are brought before the law and justice is delivered.
Kailash Kohli Shot Over A Construction Dispute
A young Hindu farmer in Pakistan’s Sindh province was assassinated on January 4, 2026. According to major Indian media reports, citing Pakistani national daily The Nation, Kailash Kohli, 25 years old, was shot by a feudal lord Sarfaraz Nizamani over a construction dispute. The killing of Kailash Kohli has led to widespread protests in the Sindh area of Pakistan, where the protesters gathered in huge numbers, demanding the arrest of Sarfaraz Nizamani, and to stop the atrocities committed against Hindu minorities in Pakistan.
Protests Against The Pakistan Government
The incident occurred in the Raho Kolhi village, in the Piru Lashkari area. Sarfaraz Nizamani, influential feudal lord, shot Kailash Kohli over the dispute of constructing a hut on his land. Many Hindu minority groups and human rights groups condemned the incident, and protested against the federal government of Pakistan, and the provincial government of Sindh.
According to the media reports citing Pakistan’s The Nation, protesters organised sit-in protests on the Badin-Hyderabad National Highway, and the Badin-Thar Coal road. Shiva Kachii, founder of the minority rights organisation Pakistan Darawar Ittehad, strongly condemned the brutal and cold blooded murder of Kailash Kohli.
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In a post on X, on January 7, 2026, Shiva Kachii said: “This is not just the murder of one individual, but an attack on humanity, justice, and the fundamental rights and safety of minorities in Sindh. Our struggle will continue until the perpetrators are brought before the law and justice is served.” In another post on January 9, 2026, he stated that the protests would continue until justice was not delivered.
Citing Pakistan’s The Nation, media reports also state that the protests have seen participation from leaders and workers of several political, nationalist, religious, and social groups, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jiye Sindh Mahaz, Qaumi Awami Tehreek, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (Bashir Qureshi group), and Awami Tehreek.
Various other organisations in Sindh and Balochistan have registered several protests against the Pakistani government and the military, asking for equal rights and stopping the exploitation of their resources. According to international media reports, the Ahmadiyya minority community continues to face persecution and discrimination in Pakistan, and their mosques have been frequently vandalised by the police.
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, speaking at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, in April 2025, made controversial statements regarding the two nation theory. He said that Hindus and Muslims were not the same, as in their thoughts, ideologies and ambitions were different.
Asim Munir’s anti-India statements sparked widespread controversies, allegedly fueling hate speeches. In Bharat, several communities have lived together since time immemorial, and Bharat has long embodied the concept of “unity in diversity”. Bharat has been facing state sponsored terrorism from Pakistan from as long as after partition, and Pakistan has also been facing internal crisis in administration, provincial governance, and indirect military rule.
The killing of a Pakistani Hindu youth in Sindh is not just an isolated tragedy but a reflection of Pakistan’s deepening internal crisis. The country continues to grapple with state-sponsored terrorism, a collapsing economy, systematic persecution of religious minorities including Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadiyyas, and the persistent denial of equal rights to people in Balochistan and Sindh. Alongside enforced disappearances, political instability, military dominance over civilian institutions, radicalisation, and shrinking democratic space, these issues raise serious questions about Pakistan’s ability to ensure justice, stability, and basic rights for its own citizens.
(GP)
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