Khan orders probe into abduction, conversion of teenaged Hindu girls

Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday ordered a probe into reports of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of two teenage Hindu girls in Sindh province and to take immediate steps for their recovery, said information minister Fawad Chaudhry. The two girls, Raveena (13) and Reena (15), were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home on the eve of Holi.

Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls, triggering a nationwide outrage. In a separate video, the minor girls can be seen saying that they accepted Islam of their own free will. In a Twitter post on Sunday, Chaudhry said that the prime minister has asked the Sindh chief minister to look into reports that the girls have been taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab.

Chaudhry said Khan has also ordered the Sindh and Punjab governments to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening again. "The minorities in Pakistan make up the white of our flag and all of our flag's colours are precious to us. Protection of our flag is our duty," he said.

War of words
A war of words erupted on Sunday between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary. Swaraj sought a report from Indian envoy in Pakistan about the 'conversion' incident. Responding to her, Chaudhary said: "it's not Modi's India where minorities are subjugated..." Swaraj responded saying she had only asked for a report.

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