In a heartbreaking scene outside the Hyderabad Press Club, the mother of Chanda Maharaj—a minor Hindu girl abducted and handed over to her kidnapper by court order—is demanding her daughter’s safe return. For two years, Chanda’s mother has fought for justice while her daughter remains missing, last seen with Shaman Magsi, a man implicated in her abduction, yet inexplicably granted custody over her by the court. Despite repeated appeals, the mother’s pleas have been met with silence from the authorities, underscoring the terrifying reality faced by Pakistan’s Hindu minority.
Chanda Maharaj’s case is emblematic of the injustices inflicted on Pakistan’s minority communities, particularly Hindus, whose young girls are abducted, raped, forcibly converted, and subjected to marriages under duress. Even institutions, including the courts and law enforcement, appear complicit in perpetuating the abuse rather than providing protection. The court’s decision to hand Chanda over to her kidnapper reflects a system that seems indifferent to the suffering of minorities, often subjecting them to legal structures that effectively sanction their persecution.