Article source: Supplied

In a recent alarming development, the Pakistani police have refrained from registering a First Information Report (FIR) in the case of Sania Amin, a 13-year-old Christian girl who was reportedly kidnapped and forcibly married. This refusal comes despite her family’s fervent pleas and the girl’s purported conversion to Islam and subsequent marriage being cited as the basis for police inaction.

The incident unfolded on April 4th when Sania went missing after stepping out to buy groceries. Her father, Amin Masih, was alerted to her absence by his other daughter. Eyewitnesses in the community have implicated three Muslim boys, including Saif Ali, in forcibly taking Sania away from her home in Anjotar village, Sialkot.

Efforts by Amin Masih to engage the police in Sadder, Sialkot, for his daughter’s recovery were met with resistance. Despite his relentless pleas and a night-long search, including a raid on the kidnappers’ residence, the police declined to file an FIR against the alleged abductor, Saif Ali. The reasoning provided was Sania’s conversion to Islam and her marriage to Saif, which, according to the police, nullified their obligation to intervene.

This incident has intensified the family’s anguish and desperation, with their subsequent attempts to seek police assistance being disregarded. The documents received by the family, supposedly confirming Sania’s coerced conversion and marriage, failed to sway the police’s stance, highlighting a grievous disregard for the severity of the situation.

Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, expressed his profound concern over the escalating trend of abductions, forced conversions, and marriages of young Christian girls in Pakistan. “It’s incomprehensible how such cases continue to surface daily, and yet the Pakistani government, law enforcement agencies, and courts seem indifferent to the plight of these victims and their families. The blatant inaction in Sania’s case, where even the child marriage restraint laws are being overlooked, is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan,” he stated.

The case of Sania Amin not only sheds light on the vulnerabilities of religious minorities in Pakistan but also calls for immediate and effective legal and societal reforms. The pressing need to safeguard the rights of young girls and ensure justice for victims and their families is more critical than ever.

As the search for Sania persists, Amin Masih’s appeals have now extended to higher authorities in the hope of securing his daughter’s safe return. The relentless quest for justice in the face of such adversity underscores the dire need for systemic changes in Pakistan’s approach to protecting the rights of its most vulnerable citizens.

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Date published: 13/04/2024
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork adapted from unsplash.com

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