Pakistan, Hindu Families Asked to Pay US$35,000 to Get Back Abducted Children Converted to Islam

A controversial court decision in Sindh shows that the problem of forced conversions has not been solved.

By Massimo Introvigne

July 4, 2025

The four minors appear in court in Shahdadpur. From X.

On June 20, 2025, a court in Shahdadpur, Sindh, issued a controversial ruling regarding the custody of two Hindu minors, Dashina Bai (15) and Harjeet Kumar, also known as Hani (13). The court mandated that their families deposit personal surety bonds equivalent to US$35,000 each, an enormous sum for them, as a pre-condition for the children’s return.

This ruling follows allegations that the minors were abducted at gunpoint and forcibly converted to Islam, a claim made by their parents when they filed an FIR against local computer teacher Farhan Khaskheli and three accomplices.

The abduction incident occurred on June 18, when the children were taken from a computer center in Shahdadpur. The parents reported threats from the abductors, compelling them to retreat as the assailants fled in a white GLI vehicle.

Subsequently, a second FIR was filed for two additional missing Hindu girls, Jiya Bai (23) and Diya Bai (19), again implicating the same suspects. The incident sparked significant public outrage, with demonstrations organized by the local Hindus and widespread discussions on social media, escalating pressure on local law enforcement, which detained Khaskheli.

All four young Hindus reappeared at Gosha-e-Aafiat Trust, a religious facility in Karachi, shortly after their disappearance. Videos surfaced showing them in Islamic attire, asserting their voluntary conversion to Islam. The visual evidence was met with harsh scrutiny and led to an emotional plea from their mothers during a press conference, doubting the sincerity of the declarations.

During the court session on June 20, the children, accompanied by substantial police presence, appeared in court, with the girls dressed in Muslim attire. The proceedings involved the minors asserting their will to convert, alongside Jiya and Diya, both adults, affirming their wish to remain at the religious center.

Accused: Farhan Khaskheli. From X.

The court determined that only the two minors would be returned to their parents, albeit with stringent conditions: the hefty surety bonds were imposed as a safeguard against potential “coercion” to revert to Hinduism. Additionally, the court mandated that the children be allowed to practice Islam unhindered.

The court also ordered the release of Farhan Khaskheli, the primary accused in the abduction cases, raising concerns regarding the legal and ethical ramifications of the ruling.

Confronted with criticism by the United Nations and other international bodies, Pakistan vowed to prevent kidnapping for the purpose of converting members of religious minorities to Islam and to regard conversions of minors forcibly separated from their parents as legally invalid.

The Shahdadpur verdict goes in a different direction.

Source: bitterwinter.org