Sushma Swaraj tells Pakistan to ensure release of two minor Hindu girls
New Delhi, Mar 26 (IBNS): External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday exerted more pressure on Pakistan to ensure the release of two Hindu minor girls who have been allegedly kidnapped and forcefully converted to Islam recently.
Sushma tweeted: " Forced conversion of Hindu girls in Pakistan : The age of the girls is not disputed. Raveena is only 13 and Reena is 15 years old."
Forced conversion of Hindu girls in Pakistan : The age of the girls is not disputed. Raveena is only 13 and Reena is 15 years old. /1
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 26, 2019
"Even the Prime Minister on Naya Pakistan will not believe that girls of this tender age can voluntarily decide about their conversion to another religion and marriage," she said.
Even the Prime Minister on Naya Pakistan will not believe that girls of this tender age can voluntarily decide about their conversion to another religion and marriage. /2
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 26, 2019
Swaraj said both the girls should be released and returned to their family.
"Justice demands that both these girls should be restored to their family immediately," Swaraj tweeted.
Justice demands that both these girls should be restored to their family immediately. /3
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 26, 2019
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Islamabad High Court (IHC) heard a petition filed by two Ghotki sisters and ordered the state to take over custody of the girls and ensure their safety till their case is decided.
According to reports, the girls, their alleged spouses, representatives of the federal government, Islamabad administration, and Sindh police, and the director general Human Rights were present at the court during hearing.
"The IHC chief justice ordered that an SP-rank police officer who is female should appointed on duty with the sisters to ensure their safety. Both girls were transported to a shelter home from the IHC as the hearing wrapped up," reported Dawn News.
As per Dawn News report, the alleged spouses, Barkat and Shafqat, were granted protective bail until April 9.
The case has been adjourned till Apr 2.
"Meanwhile, Shaman Das, the girls' brother, approached the LHC's Bahawalpur bench against the regional police officer Bahawalpur, the district police officer Rahim Yar Khan, and the station house officer Khanpur, seeking the immediate recovery of his sisters," Dawn News reported.
It will be heard on Wednesday.
The two minors, who are sisters, were allegedly kidnapped from Sindh.
They were identified as Raveena and Reena.
As per Samaa report, their family, which belongs to Ghokti’s Dharki, had registered an FIR over their kidnapping and forced marriage. The FIR identified the two girls to be 14 and 16 years.
No child in Pakistan can be married under the age of 18 under the Sindh Child Marriages Act, local media reports said.
Meanwhile, a video has surfaced online where the father of the two girls could be seen protesting and refusing to move from the place unless the police help him find his daughters.
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