Minority MPA says young Hindu girls subjected to gross injustice in Pakistan

Islamabad, Thu, 01 Mar 2012 ANI

Islamabad, Mar 1(ANI): A minority Member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly (MPA) Pitanber Sewani has said that the Hindu girls are subjected to gross injustice in the country, and reminded the government not to force Hindus in Sindh to follow the course of Baloch nationalists who are fighting "a war for their rights".

In a fiery speech Sewani said the Hindu girls are first kidnapped and then converted to Islam after being subjected to forced marriages with Muslim boys.

Sewani moved a resolution against the post-marriage conversion of Hindu girls. He urged the government to take concrete steps to end forced marriages.

Pointing to a recent incident in Mirpur Mathelo, he said a Muslim boy going by the name of Naveed Shah had allegedly kidnapped a 16-year-old Hindu girl Rinki Kumari at gunpoint and forcibly married her.

"These people kidnapped her at gunpoint a few days ago and presented her in a lower court after her marriage with Naveed Shah. We have no objection if a Hindu girl marries a Muslim boy of her free will. But Hindus will not tolerate forced marriages," The Express Tribune quoted Sewani, as saying.

Sewani said that he dreaded a situation where Hindus might decide to leave Sindh.

"Around 20 to 25 forced conversions take place every month in Sindh. If this situation continues, the Hindus will have no choice, but to resist," he said.

"Today, we are fed up with the Baloch resistance movement, tomorrow we may be irritated by Hindus as well," he added.

Sewani also urged the chief justice to take sou motu action on forced marriages, killings and kidnappings of Hindus in Sindh." (ANI)