February 25, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 26, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered its Karachi branch registry to ascertain whether three Hindu girls, who recently converted to Islam, had changed their faith on free will.

“In our opinion, it is appropriate to record the statement of the girls on oath to verify the statement of their counsel,” a three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Faqir Khokhar and Justice Shakirullah Jan observed.

The court ordered its Karachi registry branch to meet Nida (earlier Reena 21), Afshan (Reema 17) and Anum (Usha 18) in the presence of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) representative in the Edhi Home where they are staying.

They will record the statements of the girls to ascertain whether they had embraced Islam on their own free will or under pressure.

The court asked the office to submit the report by March 13, the next date of hearing.

At the outset, advocate Zulfikar Bhutta representing the girls had requested the court that his clients had not changed their faith under any pressure, therefore, the case should be closed.

The Karachi registry was directed to record the statement because the girls were not present in the court room.

Earlier, SCBA president Malik Mohammad Qayyum had requested the court to take notice of the alleged abduction of Karachi girls for conversion to other religion.

In its order, the court noted that despite the lapse of two months, they were receiving complaints regarding forcible conversion of these girls to Islam.

Sanu Umra, the father of the girls, had also lodged a case under the Zina ordinance that his daughters had been forced to convert.

In the last hearing, the court had provided the girls an opportunity to meet their father for an hour in complete seclusion in the Supreme Court’s registrar office, so that they could make up their mind. Despite that family meeting, the girls insisted before the court to stay in the madressah and continue their religious education, which often got hampered due to unnecessary meetings.

On Dec 16, 2005, the court allowed the girls to continue receiving religious education, but directed that they should be kept in an Edhi home near their seminary.

Earlier, the Capital City Police Karachi in its report had said the girls during investigations had denied incident of kidnapping by suspects Abid, Salman and Faisal on Oct 18, 2005.

The report also mentioned affidavits of the girls dated Dec 18, 2005, and “Sanads” (certificates) regarding embracing Islam at the Jamiatul Uloom Islamia, Binori Town Karachi.