Faisalabad: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) condemned the abduction of another Christian minor girl Farah Shaheen aged 12 by 45 year’s abductor Khizar Ahmad Ali for marrying forcibly and converting her to Islam forcefully. The incident take place on 25th June 2020 in Ahmadabad, Faisalabad but the First Information Report (FIR) was registered at local police station on 19th September 2020 purposely delaying by the police.

Afzaal Masih (Vishal) brother of Farah Shaheen stated to HRFP as mentioned in FIR also that on 25th June 2020 at 10:00 am Muhammad Zahid an owner of tent service business on ground floor of Asif Masih’s residence came with Khizar Ahmad Ali and kidnapped her through carry dabba van. On her crying Farah’s brother Afzaal Masih (Vishal) and her uncle Kashif rushed there but the kidnappers dragged her to vehicle and fled. HRFP fact findings team visited the house of victim, met with the family and ensured the lawful and other possible support throughout the case until the culprits brought to justice and Farah Shaheen returned back to home. Asif Masih shared that they are under threats from culprits to step back but they are committed to follow-up.

Naveed Walter president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said that the abductions of minor Christian and Hindu girls became a daily routine now. The registered cases only comes to public but the mostly cases does not become registered by police assuming the issues of willingness as Asif Masih faced abusive and derogatory remarks by police in a process of registering FIR and similar happens with parents of other such cases.

Naveed Walter said that the most recent series of same form’s incidents with minor minority girls is a question mark to government & to the concerned institutions that if they are failed really to protect the innocent minor girls? Even after starting the legal proceedings in several cases why the courts do not accept minor minority girl’s ages registered in NADRA’s B-Forms? Why the courts enquired further evidence through medical examines for measuring their ages even after verifying from government data? The same have been experienced in many cases including the most recent case of Arzoo Raja, he added.

Naveed Walter said that the Sindh province having Child Marriage Restraint Act but the Punjab does not have yet which is required to start lobbying & advocacy efforts for introducing the same act in Punjab and other provinces also. He said the Acts then needs efforts to be implemented as like the Sindh even have Act but in Arzoo Raja case and in many other cases the courts are not considering nor the government has implemented successfully until the date, he added more