Pakistani rights group demands justice for Sheeza Maqsood, a Christian girl escaped kidnappers

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), a human rights group, condemned the abduction and demanded justice for 16-year-old Sheeza Maqsood, a Christian girl from Faisalabad who escaped kidnappers.

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), a human rights group, condemned the abduction and demanded justice for 16-year-old Sheeza Maqsood, a Christian girl from Faisalabad who escaped kidnappers. An HRFP fact-finding team visited the victim, interviewed her and family and ensured them legal and moral support.

Sheeza Maqsood shared with the HRFP team that on September 28, 2020, evening Tallah Haider with Suleman, Bilawal and Nomi abducted her at gunpoint from her house and brought her to an unknown place where Tallah sexually and physically assaulted her for over a month. "Sheeza Maqsood told further that on October 1 the abductors took her to a local mosque and forcefully converted her to Islam." as per a statement issued by HRCP.

It added, "They pressurised her in getting an affidavit and video statement about getting married and embracing Islam deliberately. Once she tried to negate they threatened to not only kill her but the entire family". Sheeza shared with the HRFP that she was subjected to violence when she was brought to lawyer/court.

She further told that she has tried earlier to flee but on November 20 she was successful in escaping with the help of her brother. Maqsood Masih, father of Sheeza shared with HRFP that during the kidnapping of Sheeza, he and his sons were in the field but his wife Gulzar Bibi and younger daughter Kinza were present at home. On hearing their crying, some people gathered including street fellow Nazir Masih but the kidnappers fled swiftly through their motorbikes. He added that the threats to step back are higher now and they are living in fear.

Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) demanded justice for Sheeza Maqsood and urged authorities including local police officials for immediate protection to the victim and family. "It is proved again that how the Christian and other minority girls become abducted, forcefully converted and married. The same way was being used for Sheeza as similar in every case," he said.

Walter said that most of the victims' families have no resources and courage even to go through police, courts and to bear expensive and hectic legal processes for justice, therefore, some become silent for social norms and many due to threats. Walter said the courageous Sheeza even under high risk escaped successfully, and her statements are an actual story's facts of how the abducted girls were being treated in detention. 

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