Cases of forced conversions of young Hindu girls continue to surface from Pakistan's Sindh province, raising serious challenges for the Imran Khan government over its tall claims of security and safety of minorities in the country.
In a latest case of alleged forced conversion, Arok Kumari, resident of Jacobabad in Sindh province, went missing from her home on Wednesday. A video from her later revealed that she had converted to Islam and married a Muslim boy Ali Raza.
Arok Kumari's latest video showed her sitting with Ali Raza, in which she is seen saying that she married Ali Raza after converting to Islam with her free will.
"I have converted to Islam on my own free will and my Muslim name now is Aliza. I accepted Islam at Dargah Amrot Sharif and have married Raza there also," said Arok Kumari aka Aliza.
Kumari was seen in the video saying that her age is 18 and that she is seeking protection for herself and her husband.
She has also filed a case in the local court in Sukker district of the Sindh province, seeking protection from her Hindu parents and the community, who she says are a serious threat to her after her conversion.
"I am 18 years old. I want security from my parents and the Hindu community. Me and my husband Raza have filed a case seeking the same in the Sukker court also," Kumari said.
Before Kumari released the video, the Hindu community raised serious concerns over the ongoing cases of forced abduction and conversion, calling on the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Army Chief to take immediate notice and ensure safety of the community's families and their religious freedom.
The Hindu community also claimed that Nanki Kumari aka Mehak Kumari aka Arok Kumari aka Aliza is an underage girl as her age is 15 and that she is a class 9 student.
"Nanki Kumari who we are calling Mehak Kumari is 15 years old. Today has been the fourth day and the Hindu community in Jacobabad is worried. Every other day, we hear our girls being kidnapped and converted to Islam. They are trying to torture us with such actions," said a representative of the Hindu community.
"We are a minority community here and it has become almost impossible for us to live here anymore. I have seen a list which states that at least 50 young girls from our community have been subjected to kidnapping and forced conversion in the recent past," he said.
The minority representative also stated that Sindh province and its land, which is the true belonging of the Hindu community, has not been turned into a brutal place of intolerance against the community.
"Our Hindu community will stage protests against this abduction and forced conversion of Nanki Kumari and will do it across Pakistan," said the Hindu community representative.
"If such issues will keep happening, our Hindu community will be forced to leave our homes, our businesses and this country. I call on the chief justice, army chief and prime minister to take the matter of forced conversions of Hindu minor girls in the Parliament and assemblies and give us safety and security so that we can live our lives here with peace," he added.
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pakistan-another-case-of-alleged-kidnapping-forced-conversion-surfaces-1638257-2020-01-19
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