Bangkok, September 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Allegations surrounding the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of a 21-year-old Hindu woman in Pakistan have renewed concerns over the safety and rights of religious minorities in the country, according to a report.
The woman, identified as Rita, reportedly went missing from her home in Rana Rajput Colony in Khipro Tehsil of Sindh’s Sanghar district on August 24. According to a report in Page 3 News, her brother Ravishankar alleged in his complaint that unidentified individuals took her from the family residence.
The family reportedly told authorities that CCTV footage showed Rita leaving the house accompanied by several people before she was allegedly taken to Gujranwala in Punjab province. The complaint further alleged that she was coerced into converting to Islam and marrying Nazir Hussain, who was already married.
Punjab Police subsequently recovered Rita and produced her before a judicial magistrate on Monday.
The investigating officer reportedly told the court that Rita did not want to return to her parents and sought her placement at the government-run women’s shelter, Dar-ul-Aman. However, her lawyers, Asad Jamal and Kheta Ram, opposed the request and said she wanted to return home with her brother, who was present in court.
The magistrate asked Rita to record her statement under oath. She subsequently stated that she wanted to return to her parents voluntarily.
Based on her sworn statement, the judicial magistrate allowed Rita to reunite with her family and handed her over to her brother’s custody. The court also directed that she be taken safely to her family home in Sanghar district.
The case has again drawn attention to concerns over alleged abductions, coercion, forced conversions and marriages involving women and girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan. Rights organisations have repeatedly raised such concerns.
Citing the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the report said hundreds of cases involving alleged abductions, forced conversions and forced marriages of minority girls are reported in the country each year.
The circumstances surrounding Rita’s disappearance and the allegations about what followed have renewed questions about whether vulnerable minority women are able to exercise their religious and personal freedoms without coercion.
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