A minor Hindu girl who was allegedly abducted in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been recovered after reportedly being forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim landlord.
The girl was found in Winder, in Lasbela district, on Wednesday and returned to her home town of Mirpur Khas on Thursday evening. According to reports, armed men abducted her from near her home last month.
The Pakistan Darawar Ittehad, a non-governmental organisation that works for the welfare of Pakistan’s Hindu community, said the girl was recovered from the custody of a landlord. The organisation’s chief, Shiv Kachhi, said the group had approached the police to seek the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against those accused of involvement in the case.
Kachhi also announced plans to organise a large-scale sit-in protest in Mirpur Khas in early December. Hindu girls and women would be involved in the demonstration to raise awareness of alleged abductions and forced religious conversions, he said.
The recovery comes days after the Sindh High Court allowed two minor Hindu sisters to return to their parents. The sisters were allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim men considerably older than them.
The cases have renewed attention on allegations of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriage involving members of Pakistan’s Hindu minority.
