Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – “It is encouraging that the killing of Pooja Kumari, a Hindu girl who resisted kidnapping, forced conversion and forced marriage, was widely condemned by civil society and by individuals on social and mainstream media. The organizations that protect the rights have asked the authorities to guarantee an impartial investigation into this incident and a fair legal process”, says a press release by Wajahat Masood and Peter Jacob, respectively president and executive director of the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), noting, on the other hand, “the government’s failure to address gender-based violence and religion-related violence in the country”.
“There is an urgent need for the government to adopt specific measures and a national action plan to counter extremism, violence and persecution of minorities”, notes the CSJ. “Forced conversions violate religious freedom of citizens and undermine Pakistan’s religious pluralism; therefore, the government should address the impunity associated with this phenomenon. Forced marriage and conversion of underage girls, especially Christians and Hindus, and gender-based violence are long-standing and ongoing practices in Pakistan”, the organization points out. The latest CSJ report on forced conversions in Pakistan documents at least 78 cases of forced conversions or involuntary conversions in 2021, affecting 39 girls from the Hindu community, 38 Christian women and one young Sikh, including 40 cases in Sindh province, 36 in Punjab and one case each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. CSJ leaders lament: “Incidents have increased by 80% since 2020. In particular, 33% of victims were under 14 years old and 76% of victims were minors (under 18).
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