Pakistan: Christian young girl shot dead by Islamist

Christian young girl, Sneha Gill, was savagely shot dead by Mohammad Abdullah for rejecting his proposal of converting to Islam and marrying him. Her unfortunate death highlights the evergrowing danger faced by women of all ages of religious minority community, who are relentlessly pressurised to abandon their ancestral faith and succumb to forced nikah.

This case is one of the countless, where Islamists target young girls from religious minority community, subjecting them to relentless harassment, coercion and violence. The Islamist perpetrators act without fear , exploiting social baises and the lack of accountability within the Pakistani legal system. Victims and their families face constant intimidation and despair.

The increasing audacity of such acts reflects Pakistan’s failure in protecting its religious minority, forgoing the assurance given by the first PM Mohammad Ali Jinnah on freedom and rights of religious minorities. Minority women live under constant threat while the indifference of the law and societal apathy emboldens the Islamist aggressors.

Disclaimer: Due to state restrictions in Pakistan, independent follow-ups on such incidents are challenging.