Girls belong to minorities have to suffer this insufferable fate, Ram Bai married to a man who was already married with children whose age are the same as their stepmother.
Tag Archives: Abduction
Lahore court ruled the verdict in favor of abductor
Not only Jagjit Kaur was forcibly converted and married but the Lahore court ruled the verdict in favor of her abductor on 12th August 2020
Fourteen-year-old Christian girl escapes from her abductors
A 14-year-old Christian girl who was abducted, forcibly married and raped repeatedly has escaped from her kidnapper. Maira Shahbaz fled from the home of Mohamad Nakash, an influential businessman, weeks after the Lahore High Court ordered her to be returned to the home of her abductor and “be a good wife.”
Ms Shahbaz, from Faisalabad, was abducted at gun point by two men on 28 April while she was on her way home. She was then forcibly married to Mr Nakash, who was already married. The perpetrator had presented a fake marriage certificate which claimed that Ms Shahbaz had consented to their marriage on 25 October 2019. He also claimed that she was 19 years of age at the time of the alleged marriage. However, the Faisalabad District and Session Court, which heard the case in the first instance on 28 July, dismissed these claims. The court ordered that she be removed from the home of Mr Nakash and instead remain under care in a women’s shelter home known as Dar ul Aman.
However, on 4 August the Lahore High Court overturned the decision of the lower court and ruled in favour of her abductor, stating that Ms Shahbaz had willingly converted to Islam and consented to her marriage. According to local observers of the case, the appellate court had not taken cognizance of oral witness statements of three eye-witnesses who said that Ms Shahbaz had resisted the abduction. The court also dismissed evidence in support of her actual date of birth, which was produced by her family, ordering that Ms Shahbaz be returned to her abductor, and stressing that she should “be a good wife.”
Ms Shahbaz has since escaped from her abductor’s captivity and continues to remain in an undisclosed location, in fear for herself and her family. According to local sources, more than 1,000 Christian and Hindu girls are abducted, forced into marriage and raped each year. While under the control of their abductors, girls are mistreated, threatened and abused. According to local monitoring groups, the victims are rarely returned to their families despite seeking interventions from law enforcement agencies and the judicial process.
Michelle Chaudhry, President of The Cecil and Iris Foundation (CICF) told CSW: “Maira is among the fortunate few who was able to escape the clutches of her abductor and reach home safely. All credit to this brave young girl who took the initiative to save her life. Persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan is no secret; however discrimination against non-Muslim women, particularly underage Christian and Hindus girls is on a dangerous rise. They become victims of abduction which leads to forced conversion, forced marriage, rape and even prostitution. All of this takes place in an environment of impunity, as in most cases the abductors are those who are closely associated with influential people of their areas. The Pakistani Government must look into this on an urgent basis; accountability in such cases is pivotal. Furthermore, while any attempt to bring about some kind of legislation results in religious parties protesting against it, the Government must nevertheless ensure legislation criminalizing forced conversion is brought forward.”
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “The abduction of children from their families, who are then subdued and forced to become sex slaves, is absolutely horrifying. Their whole lives and future are robbed from them with no hope or opportunity to enjoy their fundamental human rights and live as free human beings. Those few who are fortunate to flee from their abductors continue to live in real fear and at constant risk of being recaptured. We urge the police and judiciary to dispense their duties with complete fairness in order to uphold the rule of law without prejudice and discrimination, and to take firm measures to investigate, prosecute and deliver just judicial precedents that will make all minority communities in Pakistan feel confident of the organs of state.”
Maria Shahbaz
Authorities should take immediate action to ensure the safety of Maria Shahbaz and her family. She was abducted, raped, converted, married and escaped from her abductor and now receiving death threats.
Pakistani Court Rules 14-year-old Christian Girl Must Stay Married To Her Abductor
On Tuesday, the Lahore High Court overseeing the Punjab province in Pakistan ruled Maira Shahbaz willingly converted to Islam and married Mohamad Nakash.
However, Shahbaz and her family claim she was kidnapped and forced to marry in April by Nakash along with two accomplices nearby her home in the city of Faisalabad – the 3rd most populous city in the country.
Nakash, who is already married, tried to defend himself by saying Shahbaz is 19 years old but was easily disproven when the girl and her family produced a birth certificate and school records proving she is actually 14 years old.
After providing said evidence to the local Faisalabad District and Sessions court, they ruled she be removed from Nakash’s home and placed in a women’s shelter pending further investigation.
On Tuesday however, Judge Raja Muhammad Shahid Abbasi at the Lahore High Court sparked outrage by overturning the local courts’ ruling, saying she had embraced Islam.
After the ruling, Maira and her mother Nighat were seen by witnesses to be visibly distraught and in tears, declining to make any comments to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the Catholic charity covering the case.
Pakistani Christian advocate and friend of the family Lala Robin Daniel said “with this ruling, no Christian girl in Pakistan is safe.”
Shahbaz’ lawyer, Khalil Tahir Sandhu, claimed 150 of Nakash’s ‘associates’ came to court on the day of ruling.
“It is unbelievable. What we have seen today is an Islamic judgement. The arguments we put forwards were very strong and coherent.”
In court, Sandhu says he had 11 points proving Maira’s case, the cornerstone of which is a birth certificate proving she was only 13 last October – the date of the alleged ‘marriage.’ He also argued the ‘marriage certificate’ was faked, giving evidence that denounced the credibility of the Muslim ‘cleric’ who signed it. Furthermore, he cited Pakistani law which says Maira cannot convert to Islam without her mother’s permission.
Sandhu added that “I became so upset as the proceedings went on, I feared I might be asked to leave the court room.” He said would appeal the decision, first at the Lahore High Court and if that fails at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
If the appeal fails, Maira would be forced to remain ‘married’ to Nakash and given back to her abductor.
Simran was tortured, threatened and brainwashed
Finally, Simran’s mother and aunt were allowed to meet her, but she was tortured, threatened and brainwashed to such an extent that she just sat there like a statue and refused to talk to anyone even after her mother crouched to her feet.
Parents of abducted, raped, converted and married girl are not even allowed to meet there own daughter
Their daughter has been abducted, raped, converted and married forcibly. They are not even allowed to meet her. No one can imagine the pain Simran’s mother is going through right now. Let’s not sacrifice another girl in the fire of Forced Conversions.
Simran’s brother narrating the difficulties they are facing
Simran’s brother Sunil Kumar narrating the difficulties they are facing to get his sister back from her abductor. He said police refused to lodge an FIR against the perpetrators. How can you expect justice when the law & order sides with the criminals?
15-year-old Christian kidnapped by a married Muslim with four children
by Shafique Khokhar
The girl, Saneha, was on her way to church when she was kidnapped. The father, a Protestant pastor, fears that his daughter will undergo a forced conversion to Islam and be married. The kidnapper’s father has admitted to his son’s crime. The police only accepted the complaint yesterday.
Faisalabad (AsiaNews) – A 15-year-old Christian girl, Saneha Kinza Iqbal, was kidnapped by a 30-year-old Muslim, Saeed Amanat, married with four children. The kidnapping took place on July 22, but the girl’s family was only able to file a complaint yesterday because the police refused to help them.
Saneha’s family fears that their daughter will be added to the growing number of Christian girls who, after a kidnapping and forced conversion to Islam, are married to Muslims.
Only with the help of an association that supports women’s rights (the Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation, Awam), the family was able to file the complaint at the Jhang Bazar police station in Faisalabad.
Saneha is the youngest of five children of 55-year-old Protestant pastor Morris Masih who resides at Nasrat Colony Jhang Road in Faisalabad. She is known as a tenacious and bright high school student and dreams of becoming a public representative in government.
The kidnapper, Saeed Amanat, is a security guard at the entrance to the orthopaedics unit of the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad. On 2 June, Saneha’s mother, Rukhsana Bibi, slipped and injured her hip. She was hospitalized in the orthopedics unit until 13 June. Saeed Amanat’s work allowed him to meet Saneha, who often accompanied her mother to the hospital, and to get information on where she lived. The man lives in a village 60 km from Faisalabad, is married and has four children.
On July 22, Saneha went to church at 5.30 for her morning prayers, but she never returned home. After a long wait, the family asked the neighbors for news. Some said that the girl had been seen leaving in a car with some strangers. A neighbor confirmed that one of the men in the car was the hospital guard, Saeed Amanat.
Saneha’s brother, Waseem Morris, 26, informed the police, but in vain. He then went to the kidnapper’s village, where he met Saeed Amanat’s father, who admitted his son’s crime. At first, in front of the village elders, he promised that Saneha would be returned to her home, but a few days later he changed his mind. In any case, he stated that since his son is already married and with four children, it will be difficult for Saneha to be accepted by the family.
On July 28, Pastor Morris Masih’s family received a call from the kidnapper, who threatened them if they dared to take any action to bring Saneha home.
It was only thanks to Awam that the police accepted the complaint yesterday. Now the association is moving influential personalities to get the young minor Saneha released.
Forced conversion and marriage ceremony of already married Hindu girl
Forced conversion and marriage ceremony of already married Kavita to her Muslim abductor. This is the everyday case with minorities in #Pakistan. But, no step has been taken.