Rights group HRFP demands justice for 10 Hindu girls missing, abducted in Pakistan

Islamabad [Pakistan], Jan 22 (ANI): After at least 10 cases of girls from the minority Hindu community in Pakistan reported missing since last year in the Islamic country, either abducted and religiously converted or forcibly married, a nongovernmental human rights organisation here has urged the country’s authorities and apex court to help recover the girls and bring the culprits to justice.
The Faisalabad-based Human Right Focus Pakistan (HRFP), which undertakes advocacy and lobbying initiatives to reduce the pattern of discrimination and violation against minorities and marginalised has compiled a list of the abducted Hindu girls and callef for support and justice to their distraught families.
The group has called for support and justice for the families of the Hindu girls who have been missing since last year.
Renuka Kumari, 21, a resident of Sindh, was allegedly abducted from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Sukkur in the Sindh province of Pakistan in August 2019 was forcefully converted to Islam. Her brother Vinesh told ANI that he had received a phone call informing him that Kumari was involved in a romantic relationship with a fellow classmate Babar Aman and the two are now in Sialkot.
However, sources told ANI that the couple was staying at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker Mirza Dilawar Baig residence in Sialkot. Sources added that Renuka was forcefully converted the same way other girls belonging to the minority community were forced to change their religion.
According to Vinesh he had repeatedly requested police to recover his sister but there was no cooperation from the police. The Hindu community of Sakkar has urged for justice regarding their abducted daughter.
In a similar incident, Poja Kumari, 14, Fatan Sotahar, resident of Village Bakhasho Laghari, Husri Taluka in Hyderabad was abducted by three armed assailants from her home on July 8 2019 and was religiously converted.
Her father, Fatan Sotahar went to the local police station and gave an application to police but the latter has not responded over the matter so far, indicating a failure within the state machinery to curb the menace. Sotahar, today, believes that his daughter has been killed or sold to someone and has therefore requested the reinvestigation of the case.
The HRFP has expressed solidarity with the family while the Hindu community is protesting and demanding for justice.
Payal Devi, 17, a resident of Mirpur Sakro, also did not return home from her tuition classes earlier in June last year. Later, after a protest from a local Hindu community on June 30, the police registered a First Information Report. But an Islamic conversion certificate and marriage certificate of the girl with Kamran Ali Somroo was presented at police station on the same day. The family of the girl considers it an act of abduction and forced conversion.
HRFP in its report states that Payal was still in custody of Kamran Somroo, and urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to establish a mechanism where Hindu /minority girls can freely statements after abductions without pressure, blackmailing and threats to them and their families.
Providing further details into the issue, the report highlighted the cases of two underage sisters from Ghotki, Reena 15 and Raveena 13, who were allegedly forcibly converted from Hinduism and married to Muslim men.
Both sisters are still in the custody of their abductors and the family with Hindu Community and HRFP is still waiting for justice and the recovery of both sisters.
The cases of Kashmala Devi, 13, a resident of Bahawalpur, Priya Kumari, 15, Raj Kumari, Shobha, 28, Naina, 13, and Anosha Meghwar, 16, from Sindh all cases of forced abduction have also been brought up by Pakistan rights group..
The families of the missing girls are requesting justices for their daughter and urged authorities for bringing the culprits to justice.
In Pakistan, many such incidents are regularly reported where Hindu, Sikh and Christian girls are forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim men.
The incidents have come to fore amidst anti-India rhetoric by Pakistan over the so-called mistreatment of minorities, particularly Muslims. However, the fact remains that Pakistan remains a thoroughly unsafe country for its own minorities.
The HRFP, registered under the Pakistan Societies Registration Act 1860, was established in 1994 to work for the promotion and protection of human rights with special focus to religious minorities, women and children.
The organisation was founded by the persons belonging from religious minorities who were enthusiastic, dedicated and concerned about the disturbing situation of human rights in Pakistan. (ANI)

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