IHC appoints commission to probe forced conversion of Hindu girls

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday set up a five-member commission to probe into the alleged forced conversion and underage marriages of Ghotki’s two Hindu sisters with Muslims men after their abduction, ARY News reported.

An IHC bench, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, also formed a medical board to determine the age of both the girls. He directed the federal government to assist the commission in carrying out its task.

The bench was hearing petitions filed by Aasia alias Raveena and Nadia alias Reena who approached the court seeking protection.

The chief justice expressed displeasure over the federal and Sindh governments for taking the issue lightly and said the court had given directives for an inquiry into the matter but neither the federal nor the provincial government complied with its orders.

“Look at how New Zealand protected rights of its minorities,” remarked the judge, referring to the way the country dealt with the aftermath of terror attacks on two mosques in Christchurch.

So far no issue concerning minorities had surfaced in Balochistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said, questioning why such issues are happening in Sindh?

Justice Minallah said it should be determined whether the girls converted to Islam under duress.

Meanwhile, a report was submitted in the court, stating that the two sisters were adult at the time of their marriage.

The report compiled by Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) radiology department said Raveena and Reena are 19-and-a-half years old and 18-and-a-half years old, respectively. The age of the sisters were determined through a bone X-ray, it added.