Mehak Kumar from Jacobabad in Sindh Province, a 15-year-old minor, appeared before the court under heavy security on Tuesday, 21 January, and she said in a recorded statement that she willfully accepted Islam and consented to marry Ali Raza.
She was accompanied by her husband Raza, who can be seen in the video covering Mehak's face from media glares.
Scenes from the local court where Mehak Kumari was presented to record her statement in the presence of her abductor Ali Raza. pic.twitter.com/Fo70fuYHow
— Naila Inayat नायला इनायत (@nailainayat) January 21, 2020
The court sent the girl to a shelter for women after her statements were recorded in the presence of her family and her husband, the Pakistani website, The News reported.
The court has directed authorities to get Mehak’s ossification test done to confirm her age after her parents claimed she was a minor and therefore, her statement should not be taken into account.
“The court asked her if she had chosen to live with a man who was a daily-wage earner, making Rs. 300 a day and had four children, but the girl said she wanted to go to her husband. The court then directed that she be sent to Dar-ul-Aman in Larkana,” the Times of India website quoted Ravi Diwani, a representative of Hindu-community organisation in Pakistan.
The Hindu organisation also claimed that the girl was willing to come back to her family until the afternoon before her confession, and they were unable to understand under what circumstances she had changed her statement.
Mehak, whose name was changed to Aleeza after conversion to Islam, was allegedly abducted on 15 January and went missing for five days. She was later found by police from the town of Ghariyasin, near the city of Jacobabad.
A video clip also emerged on social media in which the girl appears with her husband Raza, and identifies herself according to her new Muslim name and claims that she has accepted Islam and married Raza.
Pak Hindu girl Mehak Kumari of Jacobabad , Sindh , aged 14 years becomes Aleeja now!!
— Shruthi Thumbri 🇮🇳 (@Shruthi_Thumbri) January 19, 2020
One Hindu less and will breed more Jihadis.
Whoever is apposing #CAA just show this video!#Mehak #Aleeja #islam #CAA2019 #IndiaSupportsCAA pic.twitter.com/bcveZuLCiP
The incident led to outrage in the Hindu community in Pakistan who took to the streets to protest against increased incidents of forced conversions.
@sudhirchaudhary
— Nimittekam (@inocenthindu) January 20, 2020
Lathi charge on Pakistani Hindu who are protesting for Mehak kumari who was recently abducted & forcefully converted into Islam in Sindh Pakistan pic.twitter.com/eWWZVRtZjK
"we are not safe here", Hindu community in Sindh, urged Pak Army chief to ensure safety & security of minorities living in #Pakistan. #NankiKumari alias #MehakKumari was allegedly abducted ,later in a video message she says, she married Ali Raza on her own free will.#HinduGirl pic.twitter.com/HNdj6gUx4E
— Ravinder Singh Robin ਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ راویندرسنگھ روبن (@rsrobin1) January 19, 2020
#jacobabad #Hindu community record their protest agonist alleged forced conversion of #Mehakkumari today she produced in the court after nikah of Muslim boy , #Bharchondi family gave protection to boy pic.twitter.com/2sUz3lPYuI
— Riaz sohail (@RiazSangi) January 21, 2020
Earlier, two sisters Reena Meghwar and Raveena Meghwar disappeared from their home in Ghotki district of Sindh. In another incident, Jagjit Kaur, a resident of Nankana Sahib, was allegedly forcibly converted to Islam after being told that her brothers and father would be killed if she refused.
According to Pakistani government statistics, minorities make up around 3.72 per cent of the country's population. A 2010 survey done by an NGO called Sikh Resource and Study Centre revealed, the Sikh population in Pakistan was estimated at around 50,000 members.
