What Happened to the 15-Year-Old Hindu Girl Abducted in Pakistan?

Islamabad, July 17 (NationPress) Advocacy groups for minority rights have drawn attention to the persistent violations faced by Hindu minorities in Pakistan, emphasizing the alarming trend of the abduction and mistreatment of young girls.

A prominent rights organization disclosed that a 15-year-old Hindu girl named Shaneela Meghwar, a Class 9 student, was abducted at gunpoint from her residence on Matli's Sessions' Court Road in Badin district, Sindh province.

The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) reported that this incident occurred on June 23, and as of July 17, there has been no progress in the investigation, with Shaneela remaining missing. The family’s pleas for justice intensify with each passing day.

"Shaneela, an academically promising student, had aspirations typical of her peers — a future filled with educational opportunities and hope. However, those aspirations were extinguished when two armed individuals invaded her home. According to her uncle, Majnu Maharaj, the assailants threatened the family with guns, forcefully removing Shaneela from her home, and abducting her in a waiting white vehicle that vanished into the night, leaving a community in mourning," the statement from VOPM read.

The rights organization pointed out that the Meghwar family approached Matli police for assistance, but their response has only deepened the family's anguish. Despite the severity of the crime, the police appeared indifferent.

Majnu recalls that the First Information Report (FIR) was only filed after pressure from the community, yet it did not name the primary suspect, Maqsood Dars.

"The family suspects that law enforcement is deliberately protecting the perpetrators, leading them to question whether the justice system has abandoned them. For Shaneela’s loved ones, the anxiety of her fate is compounded by the grim reality faced by many minority girls in rural Sindh — the threat of forced conversion and marriage, a distressing reality for marginalized communities," emphasized the rights organization.

"Social media has been inundated with appeals regarding Shaneela's kidnapping, demanding justice and underscoring the sluggish investigation. Allegations have surfaced that influential local figures may be protecting the abductors, complicating the quest for justice," it added.

The VOPM asserted that in Pakistan, where minority groups often exist on the fringes of society, the abduction of a young girl like Shaneela transcends personal tragedy and serves as a glaring reminder of the "systemic injustices endured by those rendered invisible by the state."

Additionally, minority rights activist Shiva Kachhi, Co-Chairman and Founder of Minority Rights Organisation, remarked on Thursday that the Additional Sessions Judge of Khipro Sanghar Court has entrusted a 14-year-old Hindu girl, Kamla Kolhi, to the Muslim man accused of her abduction.

"Kamla, who was taken from Khipro three months ago, forcibly converted to Islam and married, was presented in court today. Despite her lawyer submitting her B-form (birth registration document) as proof of her age, the court prioritized her testimony and returned her to members of the Machhi community," the activist shared on X.

"It is profoundly disheartening that, even with the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act and a recent federal law that clearly prohibits marriage without a CNIC (National Identity Card), these regulations are not being enforced effectively," the post continued.