'Ghotki girls willfully converted to Islam': IHC okays protection plea

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared conversion of religion by two Hindu girls, Aasia alias Raveena and Nadia alias Reena, as ‘rightful’ and also approved their plea seeking protection, ARY News reported on Thursday.

An Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition which sought protection filed by petitioners, Safdar and Barkat, who are husbands of the two girls.

The high court declared the conversion of the girls as lawful citing reports compiled by a probe commission and medical board to ascertain facts behind allegations of their forced conversion after abduction and underage marriages.

The commission’s report mentioned that there was no clue found for forced conversion of both girls but to facilitate them. It also stated that the girl decided to change their religion after being familiar with Islam.

The medical report, prepared by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), submitted its report which stated that the girls were not minors at the time of their marriages to the Muslim men.

“Both girls are 18 and 19 years old respectively,” stated the medical report.

The interior secretary apprised IHC bench, “Three out of five members of the probe commission held a session [to review findings of the case]. The commission recorded statements of both girls, whereas, statements of their husbands have also recorded today.”

He added, “These cases are common in Ghotki. We are also willing to present a final report to the court.”

The IHC CJ said, “Court has observed sensitivity of the case. We want to know more regarding steps taken for the implementation of directives given by the Supreme Court [in this regards].”

“Rhetoric of protecting rights of minorities should not be restricted to words but it should be made visible to its letter and spirit that people of minority communities are secured here [in Pakistan].”

One of the commission’s members, I.A. Rehman said, “Centre for conversion of religion in Ghotki needs a check and balance [by the higher authorities]. We need proper legislations [from the Parliament] for this genre of cases.”

To this, the IHC CJ replied, “This court cannot order the Parliament to initiate regulations.”

Justice Minallah added, “All members of the commission are very respectable personalities. It is the matter of legal boundaries for the Islamabad High Court here.”

Citing the reports, the IHC bench okayed protection petition and declared the conversion of religion by the girls as legal. The high court also approved plea of the commission seeking more time for submission of the final report.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Dr Ramesh Kumar, who also appeared in the hearing, thanked the IHC.

Replying to Kumar’s gratitude, Justice Minallah remarked, “You don’t need to say thanks.”

Later, the court adjourned the hearing till May 14.

It is pertinent to mention here that the court had set up a five-member commission on April 2 comprising Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Chairperson Dr Mehdi Hasan, National Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz, human rights activist I.A. Rehman and renowned Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani.

The two sisters had gone missing from Hafiz Salman village near Daharki. Later, a video clip surfaced in which they can be heard saying that neither has anyone abducted them nor held them hostage as they left their home out of their own will and embraced Islam without any duress.

Reena and Raveena of Mohalla Hafiz Dharki in Sindh had tied the knot with Barkat and Safdar of the same area, respectively after their conversion to Islam.