Pak court orders action against minor Hindu girl’s Muslim husband for child marriage

AMRITSAR: Amidst protests and calls for strike by Islamist organizations, a Pakistan court on Tuesday directed the minor Hindu girl be sent to a child protection centre and directed local police to act against her Muslim husband, Ali Raza Solangi.
Sources said the minor Hindu girl was presented in a Jacobabad court amidst elaborate security arrangements, as several Muslim bodies, including Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan, called for a strike and protest against the trial of the Muslim husband.
Ghulam Ali Kansiro, Jacobabad’s additional session judge II, ordered that the minor girl be temporarily shifted to the nearest child protection institution, from Dar-ul-Aman in Larkana, where she has been staying so far. The court also directed local police to ensure the girl’s safety.
Holding the accused, Ali Raza, of violating Sections 3 and 4 of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013, the court directed the Larkana deputy inspector general of police, and Jacobabad senior superintendent of police to take due action against him and those involved in the child marriage.
Earlier, a medical board constituted by the court reported the age of the minor Hindu girl to be between 15 and 16 years of age.
Reacting to the court’s decision, Ravi Dawani, general secretary of All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat, said, “This is a most welcome order by the court to diffuse the present tense atmosphere in Jacobabad. If the court had given order in either community’s favour, it would have evoked reaction and further inflamed sentiments.”
Sources said most of market places remained closed in Jacobabad on Tuesday in response to the shutter-down call by Islamist organizations.
At first, the minor Hindu girl had said she embraced Islam and married Ali Raza out of her own will but, in the second statement, which was video recorded, she called it a mistake and wished to be sent back to her family and be allowed to practice Hinduism.
This evoked sharp criticism from Islamist organizations who maintained that after embracing Islam, the girl may not reconvert to Hinduism. They even declared her “murtad” (apostate) and “wajib-ul-qatal” (liable for death), in keeping with the Sharia law.