KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Thursday echoed with the lawmakers’ concern over the abduction of a Hindu teenage girl as they demanded exemplary punishment for the abductors.

Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Lal Chand Ukrani rose with the permission of Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and expressed his anger and grief over the abduction of the minority girl.

Ostensibly carried away by the emotions, he said the entire community was in a state of shock and distressed over the kidnapping of the teenage girl.

Speaker Durrani intercepted him reminding that he could speak on the issue on a point of order and asked him to sit on his seat.

Later, speaking on the point of order, he termed the incident a cruelty and said no religion permitted forced marriages and conversions.

He told the House that a 14-year-old girl belonging to the Hindu community was abducted in Qazi Ahmad and later her marriage certificate was presented.

“We respect every religion, but it is not appropriate to change someone’s religion by force,” he said adding that there was wide protest across the province over the incident.

Provincial Minister Giyan Chand Essrani said that it was a sad incident.

“There is a law that a girl below 18 years of age cannot change her religion and that an underage girl cannot get married,” he said adding that he was in constant touch with the provincial police chief in this regard.

MQM-P lawmaker Mangla Sharma said the victim girl was a student of class eight and she was forced to convert religion and marry.

“She is my relative, please have mercy on her,” she appealed with a hoarse voice and tears in her eyes.

PTI dissident MPA Karim Bakhsh Gabol, demanded registration of FIR against the abductors.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla assured the House that the law of the land would be implemented in the letter and spirt.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2023