Pak Hindus not treated equally under law: Editorial

Islamabad, Apr 20(ANI): An editorial in a Pakistan daily has highlighted that Hindus are treated equally under the country's law and added that a bill to recognise their marriages has been stalled in parliament for unexplained reasons.

The Express Tribune editorial said that lacunae of an appropriate law against forced conversion has made it easier for women to get abducted and forced to remarry after conversion.

It cited a recent incident in which three forced conversion victims, Rinkle Kumari, Dr Lata and Asha Kumari, chose to stay with their Muslim husbands even after being given the choice to return to their Hindu families.

"In all cases, their families and the Pakistan Hindu Council had alleged that the women had been abducted and coerced into marrying. All three women decided to stay with their husbands, although it is entirely possible that they did so out of fear after being threatened, leaving the Supreme Court with no choice but to let them go with the men," he added.

The editorial said that it is time for citizens to choose if we want to be a tolerant, pluralistic country that can treat all its citizens equally, or if we prefer to cater to the majority, while denying the humanity of the minority. (ANI)