Faisalaba: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) demands for the recovery of another abductedChristian girl Hoorab Basharat aged 12 resident of chak 7 in district Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Hoorab Basharat was kidnapped and converted to Islam on 28 December 2022 by a nearby Muslim shopkeeper Muhammad Mustafa. Hoorab went for a grocery and till now, have not returned back to home.

Muhammad Mustafa was arrested firstly but then got a bail by help of Muhammad Usman an area’s authority and has vanished with abducted girl.

Hoorab’s father Basharat Masih is a daily wages labour while his wife has died earlier; he alone runs home expenses for four children.

Hoorab’s father Basharat Masih and sister Salika Basharat shared that Muhammad Mustafa has abducted her and he has been harassing her from sometime before. The eye witnessed also has stated that Muhammad Mustafa abducted Hoorab, they added.

After filing complaints to police by Basharat Masih, Mustafa was arrested but during that time the girl was sent to a government’s women shelter called Dar-Ul-Aman. After getting bail, Mustafa took girl to an unknown place. Police and family of abductor justifying to victim’s family that a girl has converted to Islam and got married to Muhammad Mustafa.

Naveed Walter president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) urged for immediate actions to recover Hoorab and bring culprits to justice. Being soft targets, the minority girls either Christian or Hindu, their abductions, forced conversions and forced marriages is common now, that should be stopped and the legislation for prohibition of such violations is dire need, he added. The anti-forced conversion bill that was rejected by previous government considering that un-Islamic must be moved forward again, Naveed Walter added.

Naveed Walter said further that the implementation of Child Marriage Restraint Act is another main challenge that was introduced and enacted in 1929, amended later to discourage or restrain solemnization of child marriages, he added. Furthermore, when the conversions considered the service of Islam, that made the process of justice more biased and challenging, HRFP added.

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) stated that they will continue the assistance and raising voice of victims for their protective measures and provision of immediate needs to under threats individuals and their families like Basharat Masih, HRFP added!