Shahdadpur city in the Sanghar district of Pakistan’s Sindh is reeling from a distressing incident where Pangla Bheel, a Hindu mother of four, was forcibly abducted from her home. The situation escalated when Pangla and her four children fell victim to forced conversion to Islam against their will, with Pangla allegedly being married off to a Muslim man. The gravity of the case deepened with a shocking confession from the purported husband.

In a widely circulated video on social media, the man, identifying himself as Sai Baksh and speaking in Sindhi, claimed to have had no prior acquaintance with Pangla before their marriage. According to him, she was abducted by some individuals, forcibly converted to Islam, and then brought to him for marriage. This revelation sheds light on the vulnerable position of Hindu women, deprived of rights, security, and the freedom to choose their life partners.

This incident is not an isolated one; sadly, it contributes to a series of similar cases where Hindu girls and women are forcefully converted to Islam before being wedded to radical Islamists. The plight of the Hindu community in Pakistan remains a deeply troubling issue, exacerbated by a lack of protection and justice.

Compounding the problem, Islamic clerics often lend support to radical Islamists orchestrating these illegal conversions, while authorities, including the police, often turn a blind eye. Furthermore, a nexus of anti-minority factions exploits falsified documents to portray these coercive actions as voluntary choices.

The distressing reality faced by Hindus in Pakistan largely goes unnoticed by international human rights organizations. The voices of those affected by these egregious acts resonate in the silence of indifference, underscoring a serious disregard for basic human rights and religious freedoms.