The two sisters have been identified as Sita and Roopi, reportedly aged around 13 and 14. They were produced before the Tando Allahyar district court in connection with a kidnapping case registered last week.
According to their family, the girls were first abducted, then allegedly forced to convert their religion and married to Muslim youths. However, their ages and the allegations have not yet been confirmed through any publicly available police or court documents.
After the hearing, the two girls were seen crying outside the court. Journalists and social workers present at the scene said the sisters continued to cry and repeatedly expressed their desire to return to their family.
The court, however, ordered that the girls be sent to a safe house for two days. Some minority rights activists have called for the sisters to be heard directly and provided with independent legal and psychological assistance.
Concern has increased further because, a day later, reports emerged from Tando Allahyar about the alleged abduction of another 14-year-old Hindu girl, identified as Pansi Kohli. According to a Pakistani journalist, six cases involving the alleged abduction and forced religious conversion of minor Hindu girls have been reported in the district within 10 days.
Sindh is home to Pakistan’s largest Hindu population. Allegations involving the abduction, religious conversion and marriage of Hindu girls to Muslim youths have surfaced in the province in the past as well. Daughters from poor and vulnerable families are considered particularly at risk.
If the two sisters’ ages are confirmed as 13 and 14, they would be considered minors under Sindh law. The minimum legal age for marriage in Sindh is 18. This means that if their ages are confirmed, a marriage involving them before the age of 18 would be against the law.
The next crucial issue in the case will be how the court determines the girls’ ages and assesses their wishes. The case also reflects the concerns of thousands of minority families living in Pakistan who fear for the safety of their daughters.
The continued reports of alleged abductions, forced marriages and religious conversions involving minor girls have raised questions over Pakistan’s judicial and administrative system. Attention is now focused on whether these children will receive justice or remain part of a prolonged legal process like thousands of other girls.
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