An agonising incident of alleged forced conversion in Shahdadpur, a town in Sindh’s Sanghar district, has sparked commotion and unrest among the province’s Hindu community. Members of the minority group are demanding protection under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
According to credible sources within the Hindu community, three sisters—Diya, Jiya, and Disha—and their cousin, Hunny Kumar, were reportedly abducted from the Sawai Road area of Shahdadpur. Following a joint operation by Shahdadpur and Karachi police, the four were recovered from Karachi. Police also arrested their teachers, Farhan Khaskeli and Zulfiqar Khaskeli, on charges of allegedly abducting, confining, and coercing the victims.
After their recovery, the girls and Hunny Kumar were produced before Judicial Magistrate Aijaz Ali Chadio to record their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. Following the proceedings and arguments presented by both the complainants’ and the accused’s counsel, the judge ordered that custody of 13-year-old Hunny Kumar and 15-year-old Disha be returned to their parents, as they are minors. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Diya and 21-year-old Jiya were allowed to make decisions of their own volition and were sent to a safe house until they reached a final decision.
The arrested suspects were released after submission of surety bonds. The judge also instructed the parents not to discuss matters of religion with the girls, and directed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanghar to provide security to the family. The parents remain hopeful that their two daughters will return home.
However, Diya claimed that she had embraced Islam three years ago and had encouraged her siblings to do the same.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation across Sindh. Prominent social activists described the episode as deeply disturbing and alarming for the province’s minority communities.