Swaraj seeks justice for Hindu minors, asks Pakistan to return girls to family
The incident took place on Sunday when two teenaged girls were kidnapped in Ghotki district in Pakistan's Sindh province.
New Delhi: Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter blatantly stepped up pressure on Pakistan, demanding the release of two Hindu girls who were forcefully kidnapped and converted to Islam.
She wrote: "Justice demands that both these girls should be restored to their family immediately."
She said even the Prime Minister of 'Naya Pakistan', Imran Khan, won’t believe that girls of such young and innocent age could voluntarily decide about religion and marriage. She stressed that Raveena was only 13 and Reena 15 years old.
Forced conversion of Hindu girls in Pakistan : The age of the girls is not disputed. Raveena is only 13 and Reena is 15 years old. /1
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 26, 2019
The incident took place on Sunday when two teenaged girls were kidnapped in Ghotki district in Pakistan’s Sindh province by influential men.
A couple of hours after the incident, a video went viral in which a man – possibly the father or a relative -- was shown crying which triggered nationwide resentment and fury. The video was shot after the girls were taken.
Even the Prime Minister on Naya Pakistan will not believe that girls of this tender age can voluntarily decide about their conversion to another religion and marriage. /2
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 26, 2019
Later on Sunday, the local media reported that police arrested a man who was suspected of assisting the Nikah of the two girls after they approached a court in Sindh for protection.
Prime Minister Imran Khan soon intervened and demanded a probe into the incident.
Justice demands that both these girls should be restored to their family immediately. /3
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 26, 2019
Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Fawad Chaudhry engaged in a Twitter war of words after Swaraj asked for detailed information about the two girls from the Indian envoy in Pakistan.
Swaraj tweeted that she asked the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to send a report on the issue. To this, Fawad Chaudhry responded saying it was his country's 'internal issue'. He also went on to say that instead she should 'go and stand up for minorities in India as well’.
Protests mounted in Pakistan, led by the Hindu community, calling for strict action against those responsible. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan and most of them live in Sindh. It was also a reminder for Imran Khan of his pledge to the minorities of the country when he was elected to power.
As many as 25 forced marriages take place every month in Sindh province.