During the ongoing Senate session in Pakistan, Senator Danesh Kumar has drawn widespread attention by shedding light on the distressing issue of forced abductions and conversions of Hindu girls in the Sindh province.
He passionately expressed, "The daughters of Hindus are not commodities to be forcefully converted to another religion. It's been two years since innocent Pooja Kumari was abducted, yet the government remains inactive against these powerful individuals."
Senator Danesh emphasized that influential figures and religious factions, backed by political entities, are orchestrating the forced abduction and conversion of Hindu girls, perpetuating the marginalization of religious minorities, particularly Hindu girls, who are coerced into marriages after conversion to Islam.
These actions, cloaked under the guise of voluntary conversion, are condemned by Danesh, who stated, "Despite the celebration by certain influential religious groups, such acts contradict the true teachings of Islam. The Pakistani Constitution and the Holy Quran unequivocally prohibit forced religious conversions."
This issue, haunting Pakistan for years, has attracted international condemnation, with various global bodies expressing grave concerns over Islamabad's failure to safeguard the rights of religious minorities.
Instances of underage Hindu girls being abducted, converted, and married off to much older Muslim men abound, prompting the United Nations to denounce Pakistan for its failure to protect vulnerable young women and girls from minority communities.
The UN's statement highlighted the alarming prevalence of forced religious conversions, abductions, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation faced by Christian and Hindu girls, stressing that such violations of human rights cannot be condoned or justified.
Moreover, the UN experts criticized the legal and judicial systems for their failure to shield underage girls, asserting that early and forced marriages cannot be justified on religious or cultural grounds, especially when the victim is a child under 18 years old.
Local journalist Hafeez Tunio lamented the complicity of the courts in legitimizing these crimes, often siding with perpetrators under the pretext of love marriages and religious laws, thereby perpetuating impunity.
While the issue of forced conversions demands urgent governmental intervention, experts argue that the lack of enforcement of relevant laws, coupled with the parliament's inaction in enacting comprehensive legislation, emboldens influential religious groups to pursue their nefarious agendas under the guise of religious teachings.
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