Silent Resistance Against Forced Religious Conversions and Child Marriage
Irfan Ali
WHEN FAITH IS NOT EMBRACED BUT TAKEN AWAY
When faith is not embraced but taken away, the freedom of the spirit is stripped. The land of Sindh — long known for its Sufi tradition of tolerance . now asks a difficult question: Have we forgotten our values?
Child marriage, forced marriage, and coerced religious conversion are not merely legal matters. They are tests of human dignity. This is a moment that demands awakening conscience before law. Where childhood is protected, choice is free, and belief is the voice of the heart . that alone is true progress.
This debate must move beyond statistics and into the realm of empathy and awareness.
One Night, One Scream, and a Missing Daughter
On the quiet night of June 6, 2017, in the desert district of Tharparkar, Sindh, a scream shattered the stillness.
“When we were asleep, the door suddenly burst open. Rovita was screaming, ‘Mother! Save me!’” her father, Sataram Meghwar, later told police.
According to FIR No. 45/2017 registered at Nagarparkar Police Station, Ali Nawaz Shah and several accomplices allegedly entered the house armed and abducted Rovita Meghwar at gunpoint.
“My daughter was taken by force,” Sataram wrote in his complaint. “I sought help from community elders, but no one came forward. Now I seek justice from the court.”
Conversion — From Shrine to Marriage
Days later, the family learned that Rovita had been taken to the Khanqah Mujaddidiyah Gulzar-e-Khalil in Samaro, Umerkot, where she reportedly converted to Islam.
A religious certificate issued under the signature of Pir Ayub Jan Sarhandi stated:
“Rovita, daughter of Sataram, has willingly embraced Islam. Her Islamic name is now Gulnaz.”
But the change was not merely in her name.
While documents in Nagarparkar listed her age as 18, her parents possessed a school certificate indicating she was only 16.
On the same day as the conversion, a marriage (nikah) was solemnized between Rovita — now Gulnaz — and Ali Nawaz Shah. The marriage contract stated that both bride and groom expressed consent before two witnesses.
The Verdict: The Word of Law, The Silence of a Child
On June 23, 2017, the court ruled in favor of the marriage.
Since the girl had expressed willingness, the court allowed her to remain with her husband.
Outside the courtroom stood her father, eyes wet, repeating a single sentence:
“The law has won. My daughter has lost.”
A Pattern Across Sindh
Rovita’s case was not an isolated incident.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) 2022 report, more than 100 Hindu and Christian girls annually in Sindh are reportedly involved in cases of forced conversion and marriage. Many are between 14 and 17 years old. Most cases emerge from Tharparkar, Umerkot, Badin, and Ghotki.
UNICEF’s 2024 report on child marriage states that 19% of girls in Pakistan marry before 18. In Sindh, that figure rises to 31% — the highest in the country.
The Legal Gap
In 2013, Sindh passed the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, setting the minimum marriage age at 18.
Yet in Rovita’s case, the court prioritized “consent” over age — a gap that critics argue weakens the law and leaves minority girls vulnerable.
Following the case, a Forced Conversions Bill was introduced in the Sindh Assembly proposing a minimum age of 18 for religious conversion. Under pressure from religious groups, the bill was withdrawn.
Today, Rovita — or Gulnaz — remains untraceable.
Some say she now lives in interior Sindh. Others claim she is a mother of two. What is certain is her silence.
Her father still sits outside the village temple, telling visitors:
“I went seeking justice. I lost my daughter forever.”
Other Reported Cases
In November 2020, 13-year-old Sonia Kumari, a Hindu Dalit girl in Sindh, was allegedly abducted and converted. Shortly after, her family released a video appeal seeking her recovery. Later, a letter surfaced claiming she had converted and married voluntarily — a claim activists believe was made under pressure.
In March 2021, 13-year-old Pooja Meghwar from Tando Jam was reportedly abducted. Her father initially struggled to file a police report. She was later recovered, allegedly converted, and married against her will.
In February 2021, a minor girl, Nina Kumari, disappeared on her way home from school. Police later alleged that an officer abducted her, converted her, renamed her Maria, and married her in Karachi — 400 kilometers from her hometown. A marriage certificate listed her age as 19, while her family insisted she was underage.
Several other cases . including Muskan (2022), Chanda alias Iqra (2022), and Sohna Sharma (2023) — reflect a recurring pattern: age disputes, protective custody, and prolonged legal uncertainty.
The Psychological Toll
Dr. Sana Baloch, a psychologist at Karachi University, explains:
“When a minor girl is abruptly separated from her family, religion, and environment, she experiences trauma, anxiety, and identity crisis. Many stop speaking altogether. They no longer know who they are.”
In districts like Tharparkar and Umerkot, affected girls often display symptoms of insomnia, fear, and severe withdrawal.
Rovita? Gulnaz? Or simply a memory?
Poverty: The Silent Enabler
Most families in Tharparkar live below the poverty line. Legal battles are costly. Court visits, lawyer fees, and social pressure create insurmountable barriers.
HRCP notes that poverty and social vulnerability are often the “silent accomplices” in such cases. Consent, critics argue, may be shaped by fear and helplessness.
A Ray of Hope
In 2021, 15-year-old Lakshmi Kohli from Badin was allegedly abducted. Civil society groups intervened. Lawyers took up her case pro bono. The court ultimately returned her to her parents.
Following public pressure, the Sindh government established a Minority Women Legal Support Cell .though resources remain limited.
The Broader Crisis
Child marriage deprives girls of education, endangers health, increases divorce rates, and extinguishes childhood.
Underlying causes include poverty, illiteracy, and social stigma. Many parents view daughters as economic burdens.
Experts propose solutions:
Vocational training for girls
Poverty alleviation programs
Awareness campaigns for parents and communities
Religious harmony education in school curricula
Stronger enforcement of existing laws
Safe rehabilitation centers for affected girls
Law Versus Implementation
While Sindh’s law sets the marriage age at 18, enforcement remains inconsistent. Proposed reforms to regulate religious conversions have stalled.
In May 2025, Pakistan’s Parliament passed a Child Marriage Restraint Bill setting 18 as the minimum age nationwide. Political opposition, however, quickly polarized the debate.
Conclusion: When Faith, Age, and Power Collide
Rovita’s case is not just about one family. It reflects a complex intersection of law, belief, poverty, and power in Sindh’s desert society.
The law says she was an adult.
Her father says she was a child.
And she? She remains silent.
Yet behind every Rovita and every Lakshmi, a fragile hope persists. that one day, the law and society together may ensure that childhood is protected, choice is genuine, and faith is truly free.
Because this is not merely a legal issue.
It is a test of human dignity.
