On National Minorities Day, minority rights activists, community members, and political leaders staged a large protest in Karachi demanding an end to the forced religious conversion of underage minority girls and the return of educational institutions historically belonging to minority communities.
The Minority Rights March, joined by hundreds of men and women from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, began at the YMCA Ground and proceeded towards the Sindh Provincial Assembly and the Sindh High Court. Participants carried placards, banners, and portraits of prominent philanthropists and leaders, including Karachi’s first mayor, Parsi philanthropist Jamshed Nussarwanjee Mehta; Christian politician S.P. Singha; Hindu philanthropist Sir Ganga Ram; and former Supreme Court chief justice Dorab Patel, to honour their services to society.
Organiser Luke Victor said the march had two clear demands: “First of all, the progress of any nation lies in its education, yet our educational institutions have been taken away from us. Institutions like the CMA School, which helped make Quaid-e-Azam the leader he was, have been snatched away. Karachi Grammar School — from where Asif Ali Zardari and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto studied — has also been taken away from the Christian community. Our education must be returned to us.”
On the issue of forced conversions, Victor condemned the manipulation of official documents to change the ages and identities of underage girls. “What kind of certificate changes the age of a 13-year-old to 19? That changes Arzoo Raja into Arzoo Fatima or Rinkle Kumari into Iram? Underage girls are subjected to sexual abuse, married off, and separated from their parents. Such certificates must be abolished,” he said.
Another organiser, Najma Maheshwari, questioned why forced conversions overwhelmingly targeted underage girls. “Why don’t elderly men or young boys change their religion — why is it always underage girls?” she asked, urging immediate legislative reforms.
Activists Demand Legal Action
Human rights activist Kapil Dev stated that in Sindh and Punjab, over a thousand Hindu, Sikh, and Christian girls fall victim to forced conversions every year. “The fundamental need is legislation — until laws are made, this issue will not be solved,” he said, adding that abductions are often followed by coercion and marriage to Muslim men.
Jeay Sindh Mahaz chairman Khaliq Junejo said the state itself had created the environment for forced conversions. “When the state determines an official religion, discrimination begins. It is a tragedy — how can 11- or 12-year-old girls be so ‘inspired’ to change their religion? And why must they be married off immediately?” he said.
Separate Hindu Community Protest
Separately, the United Hindu Organisation of Pakistan held a protest outside the Karachi Press Club. Its leader, Harish Sukhija, demanded the right to practise one’s faith freely. “Under the guise of religion, innocent girls are being raped. This must stop. Forced conversions damage Pakistan’s reputation,” he said.
Among the protestors was Majnu Maharaj from Matli, Sindh, whose 14-year-old daughter Shahnila was abducted in June and forcibly converted. “I have all the documents proving her age, but she has not been returned. How can an underage girl understand religion?” he said.
Ongoing Cases Fuel Anger
Forced marriages and conversions of Hindu girls have long been reported in Pakistan, with the 2012 case of Rinkle Kumari sparking nationwide outrage and increasing insecurity among Hindu communities. Activists claim that such incidents have contributed to the rising migration of Hindus to India.
The latest incident in Sindh involved the abduction of three girls — Meena, Lata, and Kanchi — from a local factory on 13 July 2025. They remain missing.