Faisalabad: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) urged government for immediate actions to stop minority girls’ abductions, forced conversions and forced marriages. The silence of authorities meant their support with culprits to prolong the threats to girls & miseries of their families, HRFP added.

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) fact findings team meetings with victim girls and their families who facing such threats. Most of the families are depressed now due to covid-19 became more down for less earning and under threats they couldn’t work so their economic instability and vulnerability reached higher.

Nida bibi is one of the victims who harassed and even immediately got married to their relative’s boy by her family’s quick action but their issues are not ended, the father of victim girl Sabir Masih shared with HRFP team. He shared further that the family could not live within same status in area as before because of the people’s behavior changing and the culprits considering them for further easier targets, he added more.

Surriya bibi, the mother of young girls Nida and Sidra shared with HRFP team that the girls’ protection is becoming a matter for all Christians. She said, once an incident affects to their whole lives and when a girl victimized the people raise their fingers to other family’s girls also so their careers & marriages also become a matter. The cultural norms and society’s attitudes spoil their normal living routines, Surriya added. 

Naveed Walter president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said that the threats and physical, sexual and emotional violence caused the serious short and long-term physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems for victim girls who lead to high social and economic costs to them, their families and communities, the girls belonged.

He said that the authorities should intervene through practical steps against the characters involve during abduction to so called marrying; the funded abductor, the religious allies & Islamic cleric solemnize the marriage, the magistrate and police who helps culprits to legalize such violations, Naveed Walter added.