PM orders probe into alleged forced conversion, underage marriages of Hindu girls

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered Sindh government to launch probe into reports of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of two teenage Hindu girls and to take immediate steps for their recovery. 

In a Twitter post earlier today, the minister informed that Prime Minister Imran has issued directives to the Sindh chief minister to look into reports that the girls in question have been taken to Rahim Yar Khan.

The incident came to light after the father and brother of the girls, in videos that went viral on social media, said that the two sisters were abducted and forcefully converted to Islam. In a separate video, however, the minor girls can be seen saying that they accepted Islam of their own free will.

Chaudhry said the prime minister has also ordered the Sindh and Punjab governments to devise a joint action plan in light of the incident, and to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.

"The minorities in Pakistan make up the white of our flag and all of our flag's colours are precious to us. Protection of our flag is our duty," the info minister added. 

Chaudhry had also tweeted on Saturday that the government had taken notice of reports of the alleged forced conversion and underage marriages of the two girls in Ghotki.

His statement came in response to former Indian Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, who had called out Prime Minister Imran Khan on social media. 

"Sir! Notice has already been taken and ministry of Human Rights has been asked for an inquiry ll update asap, rest assure its Naya Pakistan we ll not allow it to become Modi’s India where rights of minorities have become a joke," Chaudhry had replied. 

The incident was highlighted by various activists including civil rights advocate Jibran Nasir, who posted a thread highlighting the plight of the family in question and called on the authorities to probe and take action.

Last year, Prime Minister Imran during his election campaign had said his party's [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf] agenda was to uplift the various religious groups across Pakistan and said they would take effective measures to prevent forced marriages of Hindu girls.