Protests Erupt Over Alleged Forced Conversions and Marriages of Hindu Minors in Pakistan

Members of Pakistan's minority Hindu community protested in Sindh's Hyderabad city, alleging the forced conversion and marriage of three underage Hindu girls. Although the girls claimed in court they converted willingly, the families and activists demand an impartial investigation amidst claims of rising incidents of forced conversions.

In Hyderabad, Pakistan's minority Hindu community members have taken to the streets in protest, accusing authorities of ignoring the forced conversion and marriage of three underage Hindu girls in Sindh province.

Filed by distraught families who claim these abductions occurred in Sanghar district on July 13, the FIR accuses local Muslim men of coercing the minors into conversion and marriage. However, in court, the girls asserted they willingly changed their religion and married.

The Sindh Human Rights Commission is investigating these serious allegations under the 2013 Child Marriage Restraint Act. Activists say many such cases are ignored due to socio-economic disparities, overwhelmingly affecting poor Hindu families in Sindh.

(With inputs from agencies.)