In yet another shocking case, a Hindu girl named Sonika Chawla from Larkana was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to her Muslim abductor, highlighting the ongoing issue of forced conversions and marriages targeting religious minorities in Pakistan.
The tragic incident follows the recent case of 13-year-old Roshni Meghwar from Mirpur Khas, Sindh, who was also forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim boy, underscoring the precarious situation of minority girls in the region.
Once a significant population, Hindus have now been reduced to a vulnerable minority, with their daughters becoming prime targets for radical Islamist groups. These groups systematically abduct Hindu girls, forcibly convert them to Islam, and marry them off to their abductors, often men two to three times their age.
The victims frequently face sexual violence and coercion, compounding the trauma of their abduction and forced conversion. Despite the gravity of the situation, international human rights organizations have largely overlooked their plight, enabling the perpetrators to act with impunity.