The kidnapped girl later emerged in a video in which she claimed she’d ‘converted’ to Islam. The family of the girl begged Imran Khan for justice, stating that they’d self-immolate if the girl was not returned.
Even as Imran Khan rages about Kashmir and the supposed mistreatment of minorities in India, the fact remains that Pakistan remains a thoroughly unsafe country for its own minorities.
In one of the latest incidents of tyranny against minorities, a family of a Sikh girl from Punjab complained to Pak PM Imran Khan in a viral video in which they claimed their daughter was kidnapped by six persons at gunpoint.
They said that six people abducted their daughter Jagir Kaur at gunpoint on the night between August 27 and August 28. They said even though an FIR had been filed, nothing was done to bring back the abducted girl.
The kidnapped girl later emerged in a video in which she claimed she’d ‘converted’ to Islam. The family of the girl begged Imran Khan for justice, stating that they’d self-immolate if the girl was not returned.
Akali Dal and Delhi MLA Manjider Singh Sirsa urged Imran Khan to take action and wrote: “It is disheartening to see 18-year old girls being converted forcefully to Islam in Pakistan!”
It is disheartening to see 18-year old girls being converted forcefully to Islam in Pakistan!
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) August 29, 2019
We condemn such forceful conversions & urge @narendramodi Ji & @DrSJaishankar Ji to take up the issue of safety of Sikhs in Pak at global level@ANI @republic @ZeeNews @thetribunechd pic.twitter.com/7PUiu34lFZ
1. Pak and forced abductions
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Forced abductions aren’t rare at all in Pakistan. In March earlier this year, two Hindu minor girls – 13 and 15-year-old – were kidnapped in Pakistan’s Sindh province triggering protests.
Even more gallingly, the Islamabad High Court held that the girls weren’t forcibly kidnapped and allowed their marriage to stand. Perhaps Khan should check how minorities are treated in his own country before lecturing a secular, democratic sovereign on issues he can barely wrap his head around.
2. Khan's 'selective outrage' on Kashmir
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Of course, Khan’s selective outrage about minorities, even if they are Muslims is hardly surprising given his stand on the torture of Uighurs in China.
On March 27, Khan told Financial Times: “Frankly, I don’t know much about it.”
When the interviewer points out that Turkey was vocal, Khan said: “If I had enough knowledge about it, I would comment, but I don’t.”
3. Pak to 'protest' for Kashmiris
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Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said that his country will hold protests against "the unilateral steps of India" to abrogate Article 370 and express solidarity with "Kashmiri brethren".
Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Fakhar Imam, the minister said the protest will be held each Friday on 12 pm across Pakistan on the suggestion of Parliament, Radio Pakistan has reported.
Appreciating the joint session of the parliament and a unanimous resolution on Kashmir, the Foreign Minister said it showed all parties across the spectrum are united in opposing the "illegal steps" of India.
During his televised address to the countrymen earlier this week, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced that an event will be held every week to show solidarity with the Kashmiri people, starting with Friday (August 30) between 12 pm and 12:30 pm (local time).
"They (India) have played their trump card. They don't have any card to play now. Now whatever needs to be done will be done by us and the world," he had said.
