KARACHI: A Hindu girl, who was allegedly abducted and forcibly converted to Islam before being married to a Muslim man in Pakistan’s Sindh province, has been reunited with her family, according to a media report. Reno Kumari, the resident of Rohri, was kidnapped when she was on her way to a local college August 29.
Her parents had claimed she was abducted by a Muslim man. Police arrested 12 persons in Ghotki in connection with the case, The Express Tribune reported. Ramesh Kumar, a lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claimed that this is the first time a kidnapped Hindu girl has been reunited safely with her family.
The issue of forced conversions of minority women came to the spotlight after a 19-year-old Sikh girl was allegedly forced to embrace Islam after being married to a Muslim youth in Punjab province. The girl was reunited with her family after days of negotiations between the Punjab governor and a 30-member committee of the Sikh community.
India had expressed strong concern over the incidents of forced conversion and has asked the neighboring country to take remedial action to stop such cases. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.
The majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim residents. PTI