ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Human rights defenders have voiced their grave concerns over the alarming rise in gender-based crimes and the failure of the government authorities to enforce existing laws.
They have called for immediate and decisive action to ensure the recovery and protection of female victims facing severe human rights violations.
Moreover, they urged the federal and provincial governments to adopt and strictly enforce legal protections aimed at preventing child marriage, forced marriage, and forced conversions.
During a consultation meeting, they discussed a case where a 14-year-old student, Shifa Rafaqat was abducted by a neighbor Najma Liaquat from her home in Sheikhupura on November 27, 2023. She was later forcibly converted and forcibly married to a 48-year-old man Syed Shabbar Ali Gillani.
Despite an FIR (No. 1967/23) being registered at the City Muridke police station under section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), the police have been unsuccessful in recovering the abducted minor girl, even after ten months have passed. This ongoing failure highlights serious concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement in addressing such grave human rights violations.
Joseph Jansen, Chairperson of Voice for Justice, expressed deep concern over the blatant miscarriage of injustice in Shifa Rafaqat’s case. He underscored that Shifa’s marriage is unequivocally illegal under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, and any documentation supporting it is entirely fraudulent.
Notably, the Nikkah Khawan, Hafiz Fazal Dad Khan Chishti, has denied performing Nikkah or recording this marriage in the official register. He stated that this forgery constitutes a stark violation of the law, and therefore perpetrators must be held accountable.
Jansen emphasized that the issues of forced conversions and child marriages transcend mere legal violations; they are deeply entrenched societal problems. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy that includes not only legal reforms but also efforts to shape public opinion and rigorously enforce existing laws. This approach is crucial to effectively combat these egregious violations and safeguard the rights of vulnerable girls.
Aneel Edger, a human rights defender, highlighted the urgent need for the effective enforcement of laws protecting women. He underlined that during Pakistan’s recent review under the UN International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the committee strongly recommended that the government of Pakistan introduce robust legal measures to prevent forced conversions. He emphasized that the government must stop treating these issues as religious matters and instead recognize them as grave human rights violations.
Rukhsana Zafar expressed disappointment that the Punjab Assembly’s standing committee has opposed the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2024, citing Sharia as a basis. The bill proposed setting the legal age for marriage at 18 years for both girls and boys, along with punitive measures for those facilitating child marriages. This stance blatantly disregards the Federal Shariat Court’s 2021 ruling, which affirmed that setting a minimum marriage age is not un-Islamic.
She stated that all stakeholders urgently need to support progressive legal reforms aimed at safeguarding vulnerable girls from child and forced marriage, and forced conversions.
Anosh Waseem, human rights activist, pointed out that despite the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) taking notice of Shifa’s case and sending four communications to police authorities, including the DPO Sheikhupura, IG Police Punjab, there has been neither a response nor any action for the recovery of the minor child. The failure of law enforcement to respond to such a crucial case reflects a troubling indifference toward the plight of minority girls and highlights the urgent need for a more committed approach to justice.
Nadia Stephen, women’s rights activist, said that the ongoing rise in gender-based violence and forced conversions underscores the critical need for stronger legal frameworks and a unified public stance. Stakeholders must raise their voices to hold government authorities accountable for protecting the rights of all citizens, especially vulnerable girls.
