Pakistan continues to inflict atrocities on the religious minorities residing there as yet another minor Hindu girl was Abducted on June 2, 2023, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to a Muslim man. Adding to her anguish, despite her appeals, a Pakistani court refused to allow her to return to her parents.
A 14-year-old girl named Sohana Sharma Kumari was abducted from her home in the Benazirabad district of Sindh province. She was kidnapped at gunpoint by her tutor and his aides in front of her mother. Sohana’s father Dilip Kumar, filed a police report alleging that she had been abducted. Later, Sohana appeared in a video clearly stating that she had converted to Islam and married a Muslim man under pressure. Her parents, on the other hand, argued that she was a minor.
After much outrage on social media, authorities retrieved the minor Hindu girl from a residence in the district five days after she was abducted.
On Friday, June 9, Sohana was brought to the district court in Larkana, where she told the judge in her statement that she had been abducted and forced to convert to Islam. She also expressed her wish to return to her parents.
The judge, however, adjourned the case until June 12 since she appeared to be under ‘pressure’ when giving her statement and remanded her to a women’s shelter home. It is notable that there have been many similar cases wherein the victim girls have stated that they want to go back to their parents, however, the courts in Pakistan send them to shelter homes.
Pakistan: Minor Hindu girl Sohana Sharma Kumari abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to a Muslim man, court refuses to let her return to her family
10 June, 2023
Pakistani court refuses to let Hindu girl Sohana Sharma Kumari return to her parents after she was kidnapped, converted to Islam married off to a Muslim man (Images via Twitter)
Pakistan continues to inflict atrocities on the religious minorities residing there as yet another minor Hindu girl was abducted on June 2, 2023, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to a Muslim man. Adding to her anguish, despite her appeals, a Pakistani court refused to allow her to return to her parents.
A 14-year-old girl named Sohana Sharma Kumari was abducted from her home in the Benazirabad district of Sindh province. She was kidnapped at gunpoint by her tutor and his aides in front of her mother. Sohana’s father Dilip Kumar, filed a police report alleging that she had been abducted. Later, Sohana appeared in a video clearly stating that she had converted to Islam and married a Muslim man under pressure. Her parents, on the other hand, argued that she was a minor.
After much outrage on social media, authorities retrieved the minor Hindu girl from a residence in the district five days after she was abducted.
On Friday, June 9, Sohana was brought to the district court in Larkana, where she told the judge in her statement that she had been abducted and forced to convert to Islam. She also expressed her wish to return to her parents.
The judge, however, adjourned the case until June 12 since she appeared to be under ‘pressure’ when giving her statement and remanded her to a women’s shelter home. It is notable that there have been many similar cases wherein the victim girls have stated that they want to go back to their parents, however, the courts in Pakistan send them to shelter homes.
Sohana’s mother, Jamna Sharma, informed the media at court that her daughter was taking home tuition and that the teacher had told her a few days ago that he required a loan of Rs 100,000.
“When my daughter informed me of this, I told the teacher that he should not be talking about such matters with Sohana, and he left.” Then after a day, he came back with some people and forcefully took her away at gunpoint. “I begged him to take the money and jewellery but leave my daughter. But those people did not listen,” Jamna recalled.
Sohana’s father stated to the media that the accused presented fake documents to claim in the court that she had converted to Islam of her own free will and married a Muslim man.
“I don’t know how government officials can stamp such documents when the girl is 14 years old,” he said.
Sohana Kumari Sharma’s forceful conversion and marriage case rocks Sindh Assembly
Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Lal Chand Ukrani raised the issue of Sohana Sharma Kumari’s abduction and forced conversion to Islam in the Sindh Assembly on Friday.
During his speech, Ukrani deemed the incident cruel and stated that no religion allowed forced marriages or conversions. He said that a 14-year-old Hindu girl was kidnapped in Qazi Ahmad and that her marriage certificate was afterwards furnished.
“We respect every religion, but it is not appropriate to change someone’s religion by force,” he added, adding that the episode sparked widespread outrage across the province.
Meanwhile, Provincial Minister Giyan Chand Essrani described the situation as tragic.
