Hindu girl forced conversion decision pending in SHC
Order to produce Ravita Meghwar have been issued by the Sindh High Court. Ravita Meghwar is a Hindu girl who, who according to the statement by her family was kidnapped, converted and married off to a Muslim man without her consent. The court has ordered the police to produce Ravita Meghwar before the court on June 22.
Mirpurkhas DIG along with the Tharpakr SSP have been ordered by an SHC bench which was led by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar to guarantee the girl’s attendance at the next date of hearing. The directive had been issued by the court in response to an application submitted by Ravita’s father, Satram Das Meghwar, through Advocate Bhagwandas, in opposition to her conversion and marriage.
Mr Meghwar had told the court that his daughter, who was just 16 years old, was unlawfully married off to Syed Nawaz Ali Shah after She had been abducted from her village near Nagarparkar Town on 6th June 2017.
After the conversion her name had been changed to Gulnaz and on the same day she got married with 36 year old Shah at the marriage registrar’s office in union council Gulzar Khalil in Samaro of Umerkot district. Mr Meghwar had informed the court that his daughter was born on July 14, 2001.
Mr Meghwar lawyer argued that the marriage under the age of 18 was an offence which could be penalized under the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013. He added that the registrar had stated Mr Shah’s year of birth as (1980) and the national identity card number on the marriage certificate. While Ravita’s age had been shown as about 18 years, however there was no word of her NIC number.
On the same note, Mr Meghwar’s lawyer informed that Ravita’s certificate of conversion to Islam also did not state her date of birth and NIC number, while her age had been shown as 18 years.
Mr Meghwar said that “She was kidnapped from her house and forcibly married off to a man twice her age”, Mr Meghwar had lodged an FIR against Ali Nawaz Shah, Madad Ali Shah, Umar Junejo and Sher Mohammad Junejo for abducting his daughter. FIR had been filed under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Dano Dandhal police station in Nangarparkar taluka one week ago.
Prior to these events, Mr Shah and Ravita had filed an application in search of protection and accusing the girl’s parents of issuing death threats in the SHC. The court had set 30th June 2017, the date of hearing on the application.
Ravita on the other hand has pleaded to her parents to allow her to live with her husband peacefully as, according to her, she had by her own consent decided to embrace Islam to marry the person of her choice.
Speaking to journalists here on Tuesday, 20th June 2017, she asked the people of her community and members of civil society to stop perpetuating the issue.
“I am very content and happy after marrying Nawaz Ali Shah and now I cannot [live] without my husband” she further stated and made it a point which she emphasized that she had not been abducted. “I willingly went with Mr Shah after falling in love with him.” Ravita showed her desire to let her live with her husband peacefully.
Conversely speaking to journalists, Ms Haqu, who is the mother of Ravita, said that her daughter had been abducted by the dominant Syed community, afterwards she was converted and then married without Ravita’s consent. Ms Haqu demanded her daughters quick return.
On Tuesday, 20th June 2017 Pakistan People’s Party-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) activists took to the streets rioting against what they called ‘forced conversion’ of Ravita while the members of various religious parties took to the street in the favour of her Muslim husband butted heads outside the press club in Umerkot.
Bhagchand Meghwar and other members of the PPP-SB also held a demonstration outside the Press club, where they demanded the arrest Nawaz Shah and recovery of Ravita for what they called abduction and forced conversion without the consent of the girl.
Conversely workers of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat, Ghousia Jamat and Jeelani Jamat came together outside the press club after walking on different streets, the move was made in order to terminate what they called the propaganda with “blasphemous contents” on social media in light of Ravita’s conversion to Islam.
Noor Mohammad Udhepuri while speaking to the protesters, stated that there was a planned propaganda against Islam, they additionally stated that the act of a person should not be seen as the act or teachings of any religion.
Mr udhepuri further stated that 50 per cent of the population of the district was non-Muslims and there had been religious harmony among Hindus and Muslims, he however warned that such practices and comments on social media would harm the peaceful environment.
On the other hand Maulana Yaqoob said that Khanqah-i-Gulzar Khalil had not converted anyone without their consent, he added that the people came there with their own desire to convert to Islam. Furthermore he alleged that a plotted conversion of schedule caste communities to Christianity was going on in missionary schools widespread in Mirpurkhas division, however no one showed any disapproval towards it because they were offering money.
Mufti Nizam Sikandri said the so-called activists said nothing when Jiyo and Meena Kolhi took their own life in Islamkot as their religion did not let them marry.
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