Faisalabad: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) demands for the legislation of prohibition the conversion and marriage of minors and non-Muslim girls particularly in the context of Riyah Kainat’s and several recent other same cases. Riyah Kainat a juvenile Christian girl who has escaped from illegal detention after a week of her abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage by the abductor, still facing threats.

On 10th of September 2022, Riyah Kainat was abducted by Zeeshan Ahmed alias Gullu, who converted her to Islam and got married forcibly. As Nadeem Gulzar, father of girl and family became altered to inquire around, father of Zeeshan confessed that his son have converted and got married to Riyah. Nadeem Gulzar complaints to police but they didn’t register FIR with justifying that Riyah has converted to Islam.

Naveed Walter president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said that the marriage of any juvenile is against Child Marriage Restraint Act. The Act was introduced and enacted in 1929, during British times with some amendments later to discourage or restrain solemnization of child marriages but the issue of implementations still remains, he added. Moreover, the forced conversions considering as ‘service of Islam’ has made the justice processes biased that HRFP observed in several cases, Walter added. 

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) has raised several cases where the juvenile minority girls have been abducted but due to religion-based issues, the authorities have not implemented the sections under child marriage restraint act. 

Naveed Walter urged for the prohibition conversion and marriage of non-Muslims below 18 because the minority girls being soft targets are becoming the victims of abductions and sexual abuses. He demands to move forward the anti-forced conversion bill that was rejected by previous government considering that un-Islamic, he added. 

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) has collected the facts, evidence and documentations through fact findings the victim’s home, involved characters and during Nadeem Gulzar’s visits to HRFP office. Furthermore, HRFP has processed the legal support, protective measures and provision of immediate needs to under threats family in their emergency situation