Minority members of the Balochistan Assembly, Ashok Kumar and Sanjay Kumar, staged a floor protest on Sunday, 15 November against authorities' failure to trace Bindiya Kumari, a 14-year-old Hindu girl allegedly abducted from Sibi in Balochistan, local media reported. The two lawmakers sat in front of the Speaker's dais and raised slogans before ending their demonstration after intervention from fellow members.

What the Lawmakers Allege

According to the two minority legislators, Bindiya Kumari was allegedly abducted from Sibi and transported to the neighbouring province of Sindh, where she was reportedly subjected to a forced conversion to Islam and subsequently married. Both Kumar and Kumar had earlier raised the matter formally inside the Assembly, demanding official action. BNP-Awami member Asad Baloch also voiced concern over the reported kidnapping, describing the incident as 'unfortunate,' according to reports.

Rights Body Flags Systemic Failure

On 3 November, the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) issued a formal statement expressing 'serious concern' over what it described as the abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of a minor. The organisation noted that Bindiya Kumari — a ninth-grade student — 'should be attending school rather than being caught up in allegations of abduction, forced religious conversion, and child marriage.'

The VOPM cited minority representatives who alleged that the conversion and marriage were reportedly facilitated through arrangements linked to Mian Abdul Haq, popularly known as 'Mian Mithu' — a figure long accused by human rights groups of involvement in forced conversion cases in Sindh. The organisation stated: 'Authorities must establish the facts through a fair investigation. But fairness does not require silence, and an investigation should never become an excuse to leave a child without protection.'

Wider Context: Minority Vulnerability in Pakistan

The VOPM said Bindiya's case 'has exposed the gap between Pakistan's assurances of minority protection and the ground reality.' This comes amid persistent documentation by human rights organisations of forced conversions targeting Hindu and Christian minority women and girls in Pakistan's interior Sindh and Balochistan regions. Notably, the name of Mian Mithu has surfaced in prior cases flagged by rights bodies, underscoring what critics describe as a pattern of institutional inaction.

What Happens Next

Bindiya's family is reportedly seeking intervention from lawmakers and rights groups even as authorities have yet to publicly confirm the details of an active investigation. The protest by the two Balochistan Assembly minority members signals growing legislative pressure on the provincial government to act. Whether the Centre in Islamabad will step in remains to be seen, with rights bodies calling for an independent and time-bound inquiry.