 |
|
|
A Christian Prisoner’s Underage Daughter Kidnapped, Raped and Forcibly Converted to Islam |
|
 |
|
|
Lahore, Pakistan: April 21, 2009. (PCP report) A Christian underage girl named Shah Taj14; resident of Jut Colony Samanabad Lahore has been sexually abused and forcibly converted to Islam after being kidnapped by Muslim men. Criminal case has been registered vide First Information Report (FIR) No. 68 dated 21-02-2009, offense under section 496/A with Police Station Milat Park Lahore. Shah Taj has recovered from the custody of kidnappers; two of three culprits have been arrested and sent to the jail while one is still at large.
Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP) team member visited aggrieved family and interviewed Shah Taj. Her mother told that they are facing critical circumstances as George is confined in D.J Lahore and there is not source to meet needs of daily life. She said that she could not pursue legal case because of lack of finance.
Shah Taj’s Statement is on second number among her siblings. She told SLMP about all what happened to her. She said, “I read in class 8th in Cathedral School II. On December 5, 2008 I got ready, in the morning, to go to my school. I was standing on bus stop, waiting for rickshaw. In the mean time three Muslims named Talat Rizwan, Mekael But and Faisal Butt came to me on a car. They all were armed with deadly weapons. They pushed me into car and took me in a hotel. There one of them named Mikael raped me. Afterwards they took my thumb impressions and signature on blank papers on gun point. I tried to make noise but they pointed gun on me and threatened me that they will kill my father in jail and my school going younger brother if I make the noise.”
She further told that her mother managed to recover her with the assistance of police after about one month. When police took legal action against the culprits they produced certificate of embracing Islam and marriage certificate of Shah Taj with Mikael.
She told, “I don’t know what were that papers the culprits took my signatures on.”
On asking SLMP, she told, “I want to rejoin my school but I am afraid of the culprits. They had guns. They are very dangerous people.”
She further told, “I hate that people who caused me to leave my school, they kidnapped me and raped me that’s why they must go in prison and be punished.”
According to the facts found by SLMP, no Christian political leader, no religious leader or any other activist visited this family to help them out. Poor wife of George named Shahida is facing all the problems alone. All children are school going, they do not have exposure of practical life.
Legal Situation
There is a blunder made by police in this case. Police registered the case with offence under section 496/A which does not relates with abduction, rape or forced conversion. The section relates with the crimes of unlawful marriages. The definition of section 496/A in Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) is as under;
496 PPC
“Marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage,-- whoever, dishonestly or with a fraudulent intention, goes through the ceremony of being married, knowing that he is not thereby lawfully married, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall be liable to fine.”
SLMP’s Role
SLMP is referring this case to CLAAS office for legal assistance. SLMP is also planning to arrange meetings with police high officials and put this matter in media so that an appropriate action be made against the culprits and FIR would be added with proper sections.
Rev. Sohail Johnson the chief coordinator SLMP said, SLMP condemns this lawlessness and highhandedness of police. He said police should have registered the case against culprits under appropriate sections of rape and abduction but they did not do so. He objected the section under which FIR has been registered. SLMP also condemns forced conversion of young Christian girls. No body has right to convert underage Christian girls on gun point. He said police should take serious action and should put sections of rape, abduction and harassment of young girl in the FIR. |
|
|
|
|
|
