Hindu girl allegedly kidnapped from her wedding venue by Muslim boy in Pakistan

A Hindu girl was kidnapped from the venue of her marriage ceremony by assailants in Matiari District of Sindh province in Pakistan. The 24-year-old girl was later converted to Islam and married off to a Muslim man.

Abduction and conversion of Hindu women have been a major issue in the Sindh province where the majority of Pakistani Hindus live. The incident took place in Hala city in the district, about 215 km away from Karachi, where the girl was kidnapped under the supervision of local police authorities.

Bharti Bai was to be married to a Hindu boy in Hala city but unknown assailants stormed the venue and kidnapped her. Her father, Kishore Das, said that his daughter’s marriage ceremony was going on when the kidnapper named Shahrukh Gul came with several men along with the police authorities and took his daughter away in broad daylight.

This is the second such incident within a fortnight. A 15-year-old Hindu girl was allegedly abducted from Jacobabad district on January 15 and was forcibly converted to Islam, according to news agency PTI. She was then married to a Muslim man, Ali Raza Solangi, in Pakistan's Sindh province. 

Her father Vijay Kumar had filed an FIR, claiming that Solangi had abducted and married her forcibly. He also said that her daughter was 15-year-old when she was abducted.

Kumari and Solangi were produced before a court on January 21 from where she was sent to the women police protection centre, PTI reported quoting court officials. The court had also directed the Chandka Medical College Hospital to submit a report about her age by February 3.