A 28-year-old Hindu woman from Matiari district, Sindh, has become the latest victim of a deeply heart wrenching trend affecting religious minorities in Pakistan. Identified as Meera, daughter of Adoo Kolhi, she converted to Islam and adopted the name Shahnaz after marrying 25-year-old Waqar, son of Hashim Bhambhro, from Jhuddo Sindh.
Shahnaz said that her conversion and subsequent marriage have put her life in grave danger. She said that her relatives, including her brothers Dealo, Dhero, Chito, and Vero, have issued threats against her, causing her significant fear for her safety. Shahnaz has appealed to authorities for protection.
This case is a part of disturbing pattern where Hindu women are increasingly targeted. Daily, minority girls and women are abducted, raped, and forcibly converted, often being killed or married off to their abductors. These women are frequently coerced into testifying in court against their families, falsely claiming consent to the conversion under intense pressure.
Reports indicate that many girls are abducted, subjected to abuse, and coerced into conversion and marriage. Often, these victims face intense intimidation and threats, leading them to make statements under duress, further exposing the systemic exploitation of religious minorities.
Sindh, which has the highest population of Hindus in Pakistan, witnesses the majority of these forced conversion cases. The systematic Islamization of religious minorities has resulted in a severe decline in their population within the Islamic Republic.
The Pakistan’s legal and social systems are complicit in the exploitation of minorities. The ease with which such cases are manipulated and the lack of effective protection for victims reveal a disturbing alignment between societal norms and institutional indifference.