–Directs SSP to provide protection to girl’s family
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Minorities Affairs Hari Ram Kishori Lal has taken notice of a news item which went viral on social media regarding alleged abduction of 16-year-old Mala Meghwar from Tando Bagho of district Badin and directed Badin SSP Sardar Hassan Niazi to register a case immediately and also take necessary measures for the protection of girl’s family.
The minister, in a telephonic conversation with Badin SSP, directed him to submit a detailed report regarding the incident. The minister also instructed Sindh Director Minorities Affairs Mushtaq Ahmed Soomro to contact relatives of the girl and to provide them possible assistance for the recovery of the girl.
Lal said that the marriage of an underage girl is restricted in Sindh under Early Child Restraint Act and added that it was a criminal act to marry a girl below the age of 18. He said that the act was being strictly implemented in Sindh. In this regard, he quoted the incident of 11-year-old Monika who was abducted from Hala of Matiari district, in which court ordered to return the girl to her parents on the ground of underage marriage law.
He said that in the recent case, two sisters Raveena and Reena were taken to Punjab because of early age marriage restrictions. He asked the federal government to create consensus on the forced conversion law and introduce early age restriction bill at the federal level so that minorities were provided protection in such cases when they were taken to other provinces due to early marriage restriction in Sindh province.
He said that Sindh government was working to establish Sindh Minorities Protection Commission and its draft had been approved by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah two days ago.
He said that a meeting was also held under Sindh chief secretary’s chairmanship on the matter to make the commission more effective for protection of minorities. The meeting was also attended by the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) who presented his valuable input. He said that the draft of the Sindh Minorities Protection Commission will soon be presented before the Sindh cabinet for approval.
