Faryal Bibi addresses a press conference with her husband at Karachi Press Club
Faryal Bibi addresses a press conference with her husband at Karachi Press Club -File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the federal government pertaining to the law addressing the issue of forced conversions, DawnNews reported.

The apex court also issued release orders for the three newly-converted Muslim girls.

A three-member bench of the court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez heard the case pertaining to the alleged forced conversion of the three girls from the Hindu religious community.

The bench declared that the three — Faryal Bibi (Rinkle Kumari), Hafsa Bibi (Dr Lata) and Haleema Bibi (Asha Kumari) — were free to take up any religion that they wanted and that they were also free to decide about their future.

Ordering law enforcement agencies to provide security to the three, the bench said they were old enough to decide for themselves.

Earlier, the apex court had allowed Faryal and Hafsa to stay at a shelterhome in Karachi for a period of three weeks enabling them to make an independent decision for their future.

The girls' parents had claimed that they had been kidnapped, forcefully converted and married. However, addressing a press conference, Faryal had said that she had not been forced by anyone to change her religion. She liked the teachings of Islam and therefore converted and married Naveed Shah of her own will.

Opinion

Editorial

Sedition law
31 Mar, 2023

Sedition law

IN the midst of all the gloom and despair, the Lahore High Court has given the country something to genuinely cheer...
A step forward
31 Mar, 2023

A step forward

ALTHOUGH her post is temporary at the moment, Justice Musarrat Hilali has nevertheless made history by being...
Clipped wings
Updated 30 Mar, 2023

Clipped wings

The bill to clip CJP's suo motu powers will more likely complicate the SC's problems rather than solve them.
Water shortages
30 Mar, 2023

Water shortages

IT is that time of the year when Punjab and Sindh come face to face over the distribution of river water — or, ...
Democracy summit
30 Mar, 2023

Democracy summit

THE second US-sponsored Summit for Democracy, which is currently underway, offers a small glimpse of the tough...