Faith, fear, and...

However, religious and political parties like the Council of Islamic Ideology, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, have repeatedly prevented bills from being passed before Parliament that would outlaw marriage to minors, like the Religious Minorities Bill 2020, Prohibition of Forced Conversions Bill 2021, and the Bill Prohibiting Forced Conversion, 2016.

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Opponents of such legislation contend that age cannot be used to limit or curtail faith conversions.

Some associates of shrines in Sindh, like Bharchundi Sharif and Lal Shahbaz Qalandar are widely perceived to convert minor girls and issue marriage certificates. Bharchundi’s Abdul Haq “Mian Mithu” denies this but protests from the Hindu community forced the political parties he has been associated with, Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, to drop him. In 2022, Britain listed him as a human rights violator ina Sanctions Report released by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury.

Gaps in the justice system further facilitate the accused, says Peter Jacob. In two cases involving minor girls, the court accepted claims by the accused that the girls were over 18 years old. The judges, said Jacob, did not acknowledge other instances of forced religious conversion.

He added that it’s crucial to call for an investigation into certificates issued at shrines and madrassas, which are not regulated by law. A collective inquiry could be of great help, necessitating the establishment of an inquiry commission, he said.

Jacob pleaded for civil society members and religious parties to initiate dialogue around these issues.

Advocate Luke Victor from Karachi who challenges forced conversion cases, refers to Sadia, who I had met. She was 13 in April 2019 when her khala, mother’s sister, took her to Imran, a married man more than twice her age who sexually abused her. He then took her to an undisclosed location and converted her to Islam, showing her as an adult in the nikah certificate. She escaped eventually, helped by Imran’s daughter.