A 24-year-old Hindu girl was allegedly abducted by armed assailants from her wedding venue in Pakistan's Sindh province and forcefully converted to Islam before being married off to a Muslim man, community members said, in the latest such incident in the country.
Sindh Minister for Minorities Affairs, Hari Ram Kishori, on Tuesday, 28 January, took cognisance of the incident, which took place last week in Hala town of Matiari district in Sindh province, and asked for a police report.
‘Girl Abducted From Her Wedding Ceremony’
The All Pakistan Hindu Council (APHC) on Sunday, 26 January, said Bharti Bai was abducted from her wedding ceremony last week and then married off to a Muslim man, named Shahruk Gul, after forcibly converting her to Islam.
Bharti is 24 years old, her father Kishore Das said. According to local media reports, the girl was abducted by armed men, some of whom were in police uniforms.
In the meantime, Gul posted pictures of documents on social media showing that Bharti was converted to Islam in December 2019 and had taken the name Bushra. According to documents, her conversion took place at the Jamiat-ul-Uloom Islamia in Banori town.
Police are investigating whether the girl travelled to Karachi around the dates mentioned in the certificate.
Meanwhile, India summoned senior Pakistan High Commission official, and issued demarche over abduction.
‘Take Urgent Action’: India Tells Pak
India also asked the Pakistan government to investigate the matter and take urgent action for protecting and promoting the security, safety and welfare of its citizens including the minority Hindu community. It asked Pakistan to take immediate measures to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of such despicable and heinous acts to justice.
Earlier this month, a 15-year-old Hindu girl was allegedly abducted from Jacobabad district in Sindh and forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim man.
Hindus, which comprise approximately 2 per cent of Pakistan’s population, are mainly concentrated in Sindh province. There have been periodic reports of their forced conversion to Islam.
In a similar incident, two Hindu minor girls were reportedly abducted from a village in Sindh province on January 14.
A senior official of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was summoned on 17 January, to lodge a strong protest over the recent cases of abduction of minor girls belonging to the Hindu community in Pakistan.
The girl was later sent to a women protection centre following a court order.
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