The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday referred a resolution to the Sindh Law Department to see whether any law exists to stop the forced conversion of minorities into religion Islam, as minority members demanded for legislation.
A minority legislator of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Pitanbar Sewani moved a resolution during the assembly session which Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza chaired, demanding of the Sindh government to approach the federal government to frame a law to stop the forced conversion to save/secure the minority community. Sewani vowed Hindus would never quit Sindh.
He wanted the government to stop conversion of Hindu girls by forced, as incidents of kidnapping of the minority females who later being married. He though made it clear that the Hindu community of the province was not against their girls' embracement of Islam.
Eulogising Islam, he said the religion had given greater protections to the minorities and had a great reverence for it. However, he said his community would also appreciate if through teachings of Islam, minorities were convinced to accept the religion.
Another minority lawmaker of PPP, Saleem Khursheed Khokhar, who was also a signatory of the resolution, claimed that minorities were insecure against the forced conversion into Islam. He said the trend should be stopped through legislation, adding the people were covering up their "sins" in the garb of Islam. But some legislators opposed the move saying it would clip the rights of women to choose spouse of their love, saying women freedom could not be ignored while framing such laws.
PPP's legislator, Bachal Shah said in Pakistan every citizen had equal rights and status, no matter of its cast, creed and ethnic background and supported the minorities for their just cause. He said minorities should not feel isolated in the society, adding that in India, a new trend had started as Muslim women were inclined to get married with Hindu men.
Sindh Education Minister, Pir Mazhar said there was a law already exited to protect the forced conversion into religion, adding such a trend was illegal and against the teachings of Islam morality and law. He urged the House to send the resolution to the Law Department for review whether such a law was already in place, and said sometimes hidden motives were also behind such acts.
Provincial legislator of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Syed Sardar Ahmad said the debate should be on protecting the minorities and the trend of forced conversion into religion should be stopped. He said laws were already existed to stop the crime. The mover of the resolution however accepted the House proposal to let the Law Department review it.
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