A court order in a case involving the abduction of a minor Hindu girl and her subsequent forced conversion to Islam and marriage has sparked controversy and criticism. The court’s decision not to send the child with the girl’s family has raised concerns and drawn widespread condemnation.
The victim, a young girl named Sohana Sharma, was kidnapped and forcibly converted before being married off to a Muslim youth. Following a complaint by her parents, she was presented before the district court in Larkana. Expressing her desire to be reunited with her family, the girl’s plea was met with disapproval from the court, which ordered her to be sent to the Vanita Abhiya Center, a women’s shelter.
Sohana Sharma Kumari, a 14-year-old girl, resided with her family in the Benazirabad district of Sindh province. On June 2, 2023, Sohana was abducted by her teacher and accomplices in front of her mother, who was held at gunpoint during the incident. Subsequently, Sohana’s father, Dilip Kumar, filed a police complaint. The family later received a video in which Sohana claimed to have been forcibly married and converted to Islam. The abduction garnered attention on social media, and as part of the ongoing police action, Sohana was to appear in court within five days.
During the court hearing, Sohana expressed her wish to return to her family, revealing that she had been coerced into converting her religion and marrying a Muslim man. However, the court informed her that the case would be heard on June 12 and ordered her placement in a women’s shelter. This decision is consistent with the court’s refusal to release girls to their parents in similar cases in the past.
A heart-wrenching video of Sohana crying and holding her father Dilip Kumar’s hand while pleading to be taken home has since gone viral, further intensifying public sympathy and outrage.
Lal Chand Ukrani, a representative of the People’s Party of Pakistan, raised the issue of violence faced by Sohana in the Sindh Assembly. He highlighted that no religion has the authority to enforce conversion and forced marriage, emphasizing the importance of respecting all religions. Ukrani firmly denounced the cruel act of forcing someone to change their faith.
According to estimates from 2022, a total of 124 girls from non-Islamic backgrounds were subjected to forced conversions, with 81 being Hindus, 42 Christians, and one Sikh. The majority of these cases were reported in Sindh province.
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