In yet another case of forced conversion in Pakistan, a Hindu girl was abducted during her wedding ceremony and was married off to a Muslim man after being converted to Islam.
The woman--Bharti Bai-- was abducted by a group of people during her marriage ceremony on Saturday in Hala, a city located in Matiari district in Sindh province. She was then married to Shah Rukh Gul.
The authorities have not taken any action against the abductors. According to reports, the police helped the men in forcibly taking away the bride.
Every year, around 1,000 young Sindhi Hindu girls between the age of 12 and 28 are abducted, forcibly married and converted to Islam, US-based Sindhi Foundation has said.
In Pakistan, many such incidents are regularly reported where girls belonging to the country's minority community, mainly Hindu, Sikh and Christian, are forcibly converted to Islam and married off to Muslim men.
Over the past few months, several incidents have come to fore highlighting the miserable condition of minorities in the country.
In August last year, 19-year-old Jagjit Kaur remained missing for several days. Later, it was learnt that she was forcibly married to a Muslim man by her abductors.
Daughter of Bhagwan Singh, a 'granthi' (priest) of Gurdwara Tambu Sahib, she was converted to Islam at gunpoint.
The incident sparked a furore in India, with several political leaders across parties seeking action against the perpetrators of such crimes.
( With inputs from ANI )