Probe conversion, marriage of 2 Hindu girls, orders Imran

Islamabad, March 24

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered a probe into reports of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of two teenage Hindu girls in Sindh province and to take immediate steps for their recovery, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday.

The two girls, Raveena (13) and Reena (15), were allegedly kidnapped by a group of “influential” men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the nikah (marriage) of the two girls.

In a separate video, the minor girls can be seen saying that they accepted Islam of their own free will.

In a Twitter post on Sunday, Information Minister Chaudhry said the PM has asked the Sindh Chief Minister to look into reports that the girls in question have been taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab.

Chaudhry said the PM has also ordered the Sindh and Punjab governments to devise a joint action plan in light of the incident, and to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.

“The minorities in Pakistan make up the white of our flag and all of our flag’s colours are precious to us. Protection of our flag is our duty,” he said.

The Hindu community in Pakistan has carried out massive demonstrations calling for strict action to be taken against those responsible, while reminding Prime Minister Khan of his promises to the minorities of the country.

Last year, Khan during his election campaign had said his party’s agenda was to uplift the various religious groups across Pakistan and said they would take effective measures to prevent forced marriages of Hindu girls.

Sanjesh Dhanja, president of Pakistan Hindu Sewa Welfare Trust, an NGO, earlier urged Prime Minister Khan to take note of the incident and prove to everyone that minorities were indeed safe and secure in Pakistan.

Dhanja said the Hindu community had staged several sit-ins in Ghotki district after which the police reluctantly registered an FIR against the accused persons.

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional MPA Nand Kumar Goklani, who had initially moved a Bill against forced conversions, urged the government to get the law passed immediately. — PTI

Swaraj, Pak minister in war of words

A war of words erupted on Sunday between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary over reports of abduction of two Hindu girls and their forcible conversion. In a tweet, Swaraj sought a report from Indian envoy Ajay Bisaria. Responding to Swaraj’s tweet, Pakistan’s Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said: “Ma’am it’s Pakistan’s internal issue and rest assured it’s not Modi’s India where minorities are subjugated, it’s Imran Khan’s Naya Pakistan where white colour of our flag is equally dearer to us.” Swaraj, in her response to Chaudhary, said she had only asked for a report from the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad. “This was enough to make you jittery. This only shows your guilty conscience,” she said. PTI

Largest minority

• Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan
• According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country
• Majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province, where they share the culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows