Rising Crimes Against Minorities in Pakistan: Boy Killed, 3 Girls Abducted and Converted

Pakistan’s Hindus carry banners as they chant slogans to condemn forced conversions and attacks on places of worship in Peshawar, Pakistan. (Image: Reuters)

Pakistan’s attacks on minorities continues unabated with the help of police and lawmakers as one boy was killed over a minor dispute in Sindh’s Tando Muhammad Khan and three girls were abducted and forcefully converted to Islam in Rahim Yar Khan and Sindh province in separate incidents.

Unknown miscreants killed 16-year-old Shamlal, son of Nana Bagri, in Rahim Yar Khan during a dispute over the price of mangoes, the price of which were PKR 20 per kilo.

Two girls, Anita Kumari and Pooja Kumari, both residents of Rahim Yar Khan were abducted and forcefully converted to Islam. The local Hindu community alleged that the administration and police are siding with the perpetrators and not registering a case against the abductors. They also said that their grievances were not addressed.

A 13-year-old Sana Meghwar was abducted by 6 people from Nazarpur in Tando Ghulam Haider of Sindh Province on Monday.

People familiar with the developments told CNN-News18 that Sana was beaten and then forced to sit in a car by her kidnappers who abducted her while she was returning from the market with her mother. Her mother also sustained injuries in the attack.

Sana’s mother identified one of the attackers as 50-year-old Sheikh Imran who is a local landlord. Her father, Prem Meghwar, said even though he reported the incident to Nazarpur and Tandi Ghulam Hyder police stations, the police officials did not even visit the site of the incident or take statements from Sana’s mother and eyewitnesses.

Prem fears that Sheikh Imran’s will convert his daughter and marry her off to one of his three sons.

In another separate incident, Radhika Meghwar, a widow, was abducted by Salim Mushtaq on Sunday. The incident occurred in Sindh’s Ghotki district. She was forcibly converted to Islam in front of her parents and younger sister Kajal Kumari at the Daharki residence of Maulvi Mian Javed Ahmad Qadiri on the same day.

Mushtaq threatened Radhika that if she willingly accepts Islam and marries him there will be a “better life” for her but if she refuses then her “entire family will have to bear the consequences”. Javed Ahmad Qadiri, in whose residence the forced conversion took place, ordered Radhika’s parents to “respect” their daughter’s wish to “embrace Islam” and told them to attend her marriage ceremony.