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This article delves into the case of a Pakistani family arrested in India, shedding light on their alleged persecution in Pakistan due to their association with the Mehdi Foundation International (MFI). The family, living under assumed identities as 'Sharmas,' was apprehended in Bengaluru for residing in India illegally since 2014. They claimed that their affiliation with the MFI, a spiritual organization promoting interfaith harmony and Sufi traditions, led to their facing severe religious persecution in Pakistan. This incident raises critical questions about the MFI's activities, the nature of religious intolerance in Pakistan, and India's response to such situations.
The Mehdi Foundation, founded in the 1970s by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi, has garnered significant following despite facing hostility from Islamic clerics in Pakistan. Their emphasis on interfaith peace and the rejection of traditional Islamic interpretations, particularly the notion of religious hierarchy, have sparked accusations of heresy and blasphemy. The Pakistani government has actively cracked down on the MFI, labeling it an outlaw organization, banning its publications, and persecuting its members through imprisonment, even issuing death sentences for blasphemy charges. Many MFI members, like Amjad Gohar, the current president, have sought refuge abroad, fearing for their lives.
India has faced its own challenges in dealing with MFI members seeking asylum. In 2007, a group of MFI members, having obtained tourist visas to India, staged a protest at the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi. While they were arrested for illegal residency, the Indian government eventually granted them refugee status, enabling their relocation to countries like Canada, the USA, and Europe. This case, however, poses a dilemma for India. While sympathetic to the family's plight, the Indian government must balance its commitment to human rights with its responsibility to maintain national security and immigration laws.
Source: Pakistani family living in India as ‘Sharmas’ held: Group they belong to, why they crossed border