Islamabad, June 16: The forced conversion of girls from religious minorities to Islam continues unabated in Pakistan and its latest victim is a 13-year-old Christian girl.
The incident took place in Gujranwala city of Pakistan where the teenage girl was kidnapped and converted to Islam. According to her father, the kidnapper, who is Muslim, later married her forcefully.
The father of the victim is seeking justice for his family, Dawn reported.
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Shahid Gill, who is a tailor from Arif Town, said his neighbour offered to hire his 13-year-old daughter as a salesgirl at his makeup accessories shop. However, Gill refused to send his daughter to work at the shop.
He said that the kidnapper, who is Muslim, continued to ask for help in his business, and because of his (Gill’s) poor background, he subsequently allowed his daughter to work at his neighbour’s store.
Gill said that on May 20, he found his daughter absent at home and was informed by some neighbours that the girl was seen going somewhere on a pickup truck with the kidnapper and some other men and women.
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He said he lodged a kidnapping complaint in Ferozewala police station and a case was registered on May 29 against the man and seven others.
Investigation Officer SI Liaqat said that two of the suspects were taken into custody but the girl later appeared before a local court where her statement was recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
The girl submitted in the court that she had left her house willingly to convert to Islam and later contract marriage, according to the police officer.
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He said the court had allowed the girl to go with her purported husband and ordered the police to quash the case, following which police had implemented the court order.
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