Pakistan: Hindu minor girl abducted by Islamist, raped, coercively converted to Islam & pushed into forced nikah.

Quetta-
Kanwal Kumari, a Hindu minor was abducted by Amir Nawaz, raped, forcibly converted to Islam and married off against her will to Amir. After enduring confinement, continuous sexual assault and physical abuse, she managed to escape and courageously filed a complaint against her abductor. Her plight underscores the severe lack of protection for Hindu women in Pakistan.

Incidents like Kanwal’s are tragically common among Hindu girls and women in Islamic Pakistan. Many face abductions, coercive conversions, rapes, sexual exploitation and forced marriages, with no recourse to justice. These crimes often go unpunished, perpetuating a cycle of fear and oppression, with the infamous disregard of human rights of Hindus and religious minorities by Pakistani police and courts. Victims are silenced by societal pressures and institutional apathy.

The lives of Hindu women, regardless of their age, remain fraught with danger, their movements restricted due to constant threats of violence and sexual assault. Basic freedoms are curtailed and their safety is a daily concern. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for stronger legal protections and societal change to safeguard the rights of religious minorities in Islamic Pakistan, although that doesn’t seem to be happening in the near future.

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