In Sindh, Hindu woman kidnapped to be forcibly married is freed
Law enforcement freed Reena Meghwar after a video went viral on social media showing her asking to be sent back to her parents. She told a court that she had never converted to Islam, adding that the papers used to register her marriage were false. For the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Karachi, this is an important precedent for many similar cases.
Sindh (AsiaNews) – Reena Meghwar, a young Pakistani Hindu woman kidnapped in order to be forced into marriage with a Muslim man, was released by police in Badin, a district in the southern province of Sindh.
Law enforcement went into action after a video went viral, showing the young woman complaining about her situation.
In the tape, the victim can be seen and heard asking for help, saying: “Please, send me to my parents. I was forcibly taken away.”
Speaking before a court, Reena declared that she had never converted to Islam, accusing her abductor, Qasim Kashkheli, of using fake papers to marry her and subjecting her to his "undesirable” attention.
She asked the court to provide protection for her brother who had been threatened by the kidnappers if she spoke out.
The court ordered an investigation into the incident and sent the woman back to her parents.
Reena Meghwar was kidnapped on 13 February in Kario Ghanwar, Badin district.
In a hearing on 27 April, the family's lawyer, Ram Kolhi, spoke about her fears and the pressure she was put under; on that occasion, however, the court did not act.
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi is happy about the outcome.
In the past, it also raised on many occasions the issue of girls and women abducted for the purpose of forced marriage.
In light of this case, its coordinator, Kashif Anthony, thanked the authorities for providing justice to Reena.
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