Punjab govt to negotiate with Sikh community over alleged forced conversion of 19-year-old girl
A high-level committee, headed by Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, has been constituted by the provincial government in order to negotiate with a 30-member committee formed by Pakistan's Sikh community in relation to a case pertaining to the alleged forced conversion of a Sikh girl, it emerged on Friday.
According to a memorandum sent to inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab by the district police officer (DPO) of Nankana Sahib, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed in the Nankana police station on August 28 against six people who were accused of abducting and forcefully converting 19-year-old Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur.
The police subsequently traced the suspects to Lahore and detained one of them. Three of the suspects obtained pre-arrest bail while two others are at large, the memorandum said.
The police were subsequently contacted by Sheikh Sultan, Kaur's advocate, who told them she had embraced Islam, was given the name Ayesha, and then contracted marriage with Mohammad Hassan — one of the main suspects — of her own free will.
Sultan further said that he had filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court on behalf of Kaur against her family and local police, accusing them of "illegal harassment".
The girl also submitted a written statement in the court, stating that she had converted to Islam and married Hassan of her own free will. She also accused her family of "wanting to kill her". She is currently housed in Darul Aman, Lahore, as per the orders of an additional sessions judge.
The DPO, in his memorandum, attached the "relevant documentary and video proof of the nikah and the girl's conversion to Islam". Copies of the documents from the National Database and Registration Authority, which show that Kaur is 19 years of age, and the nikahnama were also attached.
Following the girl's statements in court, the Sikh community has demanded that the police bring her back to her parents' house irrespective of the conversion being forced or consensual.
The DPO informed the IGP that the Sikh community was "agitating against the incident and videos of family of the girl [were] also viral on social media and international media".
"It is requested that concerned quarters may kindly be taken on board so that Sikh community could be engaged and pacified timely as the community has announced to protest if their demand is not honoured," he wrote.
"It is pertinent to mention here that in the backdrop of Indo-Pak tension vis-a-vis [occupied] Kashmir, any such protest could damage image of the country internationally," he added.
Comments (60) Closed
Disgusting people
The community must be treated fairly with open justice she must be allowed to her parents.
Stop such marriages since it give bad name to Muslims. Better have family consent before Nikha. Can Muslim family endorse such action when their lady go with other religious person
Shame on forced conversion, this medieval practice is still going on.
Disgusting
Shameful practice continues
Shameful
What a shame
Why is the government negotiating with ordinary people? On whose behalf?
The girl must be returned to the family.
Negotiate?
These developments are normal as expected.
I see that everyone has formed an opinion without listening to the girl. Whatever she says will have the strongest impact and should be decided on hers and the husbands statement with documentary proof, and not what the rest of the bunch is saying.
Unfortunately, the girl is already over 18 years and free to decide her future.
So much for human rights...
What is there to negotiate?
She could been influenced by teachings of islam, it's possible. There are lot of girls who genuinely get influenced and want to willingly convert and marry.
@Shami,
Her future with gun to her throat and with intimidation she makes a choice willingly????
Historically Sikhs and Muslims have always had cordial relations.This could very well be a conspiracy to create a rift between them as the Kartarpur celebrations of Guru Nanak are drawing closer.The men held should be thoroughly questioned and full investigation be conducted.The girl should safely be returned to the family.
@Abbas, yes. One must get all the Infos. Simple.
Shameful act.
Same routine in every case.
PM Imran Khan should see that the girl is restored to her parents without further delay. Then the next step.
Alleged forced conversions? - shame on you all.
@Shami, "Unfortunately, the girl is already over 18 years and free to decide her future."
It's amazing what death threats to family members can do to your decision making process!
If she converted out of free will, her family might want to kill her. Consent of family isn't needed for an adult choosing a religion out of free will. Just need to investigate if she converted by choice or force.
provincial government in order to negotiate with a 30-member committee formed by Pakistan's Sikh community in relation to a case pertaining to the alleged forced conversion of a Sikh girl, it emerged on Friday." Negotiate ? I do hope meaning of word is known ?
@Iftikhar Husain, Wishful thinking. Is it possible in Pakistan?
The girl should be taken into protective custody and placed im a safe environment for a period of time so she feels secure enough to reveal the truth without and pressure... the girls statement in these conditions means notjing
What negotiations! Just put the culprits behind bars for 10 years.
Shameful act, Girl's life is wasted
@Iftikhar Husain, The issue is not of allowance. But the issue is that weather the law can enforce her to return home if she is - according to her statement - is having threat.
Hypocritical Indians commenting here surely this is an "INTERNAL" MATTER. And anyway this young lady has freedom to marry and convert as she chooses. What her family thinks is a different matter altogether. Obviously her life may be in danger if she is send back to her parent's. Both sides should be taken into account.
The question is not of weather a muslim family endorses such an action for their daughter. The question is that what is according to the law and what rights does she enjoy if she really did everything out of her own will. The muslims don't endorse that their muslim brother leave his religion and become christian, e.g. But, it doesn't imply that we start condemning the conversions to Islam even if they are willful.
@Naresh, who?
@Ranjit, yes being 19 she has the right to exercise her free will
I'd she has been forced to convert, and married against her will then all the suspects need to be apprehended and severe punishment as per law handed out. However I'd she has reverted with her own free will and married with her consent, then regardless if it is 10,000 or entire world be against this she should not be handed back. One too many times innocent have been killed to save their honour.
@M: Nadra doesn't recognize any conversion by a muslim to another faith. In the eyes of the Pakistani authorities a muslim can never convert to another religion. This came to light a few years back when a Christian MPA was accidentally labelled a muslim in Nadra records. He had to go all the way to the supreme court to get it corrected.
Threat to kill her family is reason enough for girl to lie that she married of her own free will . Horrible situation.
"The girl also submitted a written statement in the court, stating that she had converted to Islam and married Hassan of her own free will." End of the story.
Why negotiate Sir?
@Abbas, Yes Mr. Abbas. Well done. Keep it up!!
There should be law that no girl with out the consent of her parents should be allowed to get married regardless of what religion she belongs. This will put an end to the miseries of the unfortunate families.
The government must do everything in its power that justice is done and that there should be no doubts in the Sikh community that the case was dealt without fear of the Sikh girl and it was a legitimate claim that she converted willfully and understood what her new faith was.
In most cases, the girl is forcefully abducted, the family threatened, the police uncooperative. The girl fears for her life & her family, maybe repeatedly raped to break her resistance. She is forced to then write she converted willingly. Never once she is allowed to meet her parents.
@Shami, she has already been violated, what can she decide now?
@Shami, she was converted forcefully if she testifies that clearly she needs to be returned to family
@Zahid, her return to her family why is there negotiation she has right to leave as any human being and return to family
@Shami, free to decide at gunpoint?????
Shameful jail the person who did this enough is enough! We have the most liberal govt after a long time. Put them behind bars for life. Thank you govt for taking swift action.
Negotiate ? Painfully shameful on part of government.
Sick of such episodes. Eventually she will have to live with it. The parents will be pressurized to accept the fate and the girl will come out saying she did it on her will. The negotiations means to put a stamp on whatever has happened.
Let the facts dictate the outcome rather than pre-supposing forced conversion.
Pakistanis love Sikhs!
Non-Muslim Girls and their family must be protected. Muslim boys,wanting to marry a non-Muslim girl, must ask the consent of the non-Muslim parents. If the girl's non-Muslim parents won't consent, please marry somewhere else. Government should discourage these marriages unless girls parents consent in written, and in front of
These marriages need be discouraged. Only way for a Muslim boy to marry a non-Muslim girl, must be tied to the permission and the consent of her parents. If the girl does not have the blessing of her parents, then the Muslim boy should not be allowed to elope with her. Our minorities must be protected.
@Zahid, "what is there to negotiate?" If someone kidnaps your family girl, would you say the same?
Govt is representing the accused or the accuser. Shouldnt there be exemplary punishment given to the scoundrel who kidnapped the girl and converted and married her.
@M. Khan , Parents will never give consent. It should be with law enforcement like a local judge and give enough time for both parties to know about it. The girl also gets protection from both sides when registered with government. Any investigation of threat can be done before the marriage.
Absolutely disgusting. These guys needs to be behind the bar.
@Jamil Soomro, New York City, need to revist your school for history lessons