The Sindh High Court in Pakistan has allowed two minor Hindu sisters, who were allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to Muslim men, to return home to their parents.
According to India's PTI news agency, the two sisters, aged 14 and 13, were reportedly abducted on August 29 from near their home in Sindh province. It is alleged that they were forcibly converted and then married to Muslim men who were much older than them.
The sisters were rescued in September, but a lower court had sent them to a women's shelter home on three separate occasions, despite their repeated pleas to be allowed to go with their parents. Eventually, the case was ought before the Sindh High Court.
On Monday, October 20, the high court ruled that the girls could return to their parents' home. A First Information Report (FIR) has also been registered against the two accused men in the case.
Shiva Kaachi, who heads an NGO called Pakistan Darawar Ittehad that works for the rights of marginalized communities in Sindh, welcomed the court's decision. He stated that his organization has consistently fought to prevent the violation of the fundamental rights of minor girls.
The family's lawyer also confirmed the sisters' reunion with their family, adding that he is representing several other Hindu families whose daughters have been similarly abducted and forced into marriage. These cases have raised serious concerns about the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan.
Source: PTI News Agency
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