13 March 2026 — Mirpurkhas, Sindh🇵🇰
A disturbing incident has reportedly emerged from Bukhari Farm, a village near Kot Ghulam Muhammad tehsil in Mirpurkhas district, where a 12-year-old Hindu girl, Lachmi Kolhi, daughter of Ramesh Kolhi, was allegedly kidnapped, converted to Islam, and married.
According to information received from local sources, the minor girl was allegedly lured and taken away by Parvez Marri, a resident of Bukhari Farm village. It is claimed that she was taken to Samaro, where she was presented before Pir Omar Jan Sirhindi. There, the girl was reportedly converted to Islam and later married. Following the conversion, she was allegedly given the Muslim name Shabana Sheikh.
Sources further claim that the girl’s actual age, believed to be around 12 years, was allegedly recorded as 19 years on the conversion certificate. If confirmed, such a discrepancy would represent a serious violation of the law and raise concerns about the protection of minors.
The incident has drawn particular attention because child marriage is a criminal offence in Sindh under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, which sets the minimum legal age of marriage at 18 years. Any marriage involving a minor is therefore considered illegal under provincial law.
Human rights activists and social leaders from minority communities have expressed deep concern over what they describe as a growing number of cases involving the abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage of minor girls from Hindu and other minority communities in Sindh. They say that despite the existence of laws intended to prevent such incidents, weak enforcement has allowed the problem to persist.
Some activists have also raised allegations that certain groups in the Samaro area continue to conduct conversions and marriages involving underage girls. They argue that such practices, if proven, represent not only a violation of the law but also a serious injustice to vulnerable families from economically disadvantaged communities.
Civil society groups and community leaders have called on the Sindh government, law enforcement agencies, and human rights organizations to take immediate notice of the matter. They have demanded a transparent investigation, recovery of the girl, and strict legal action against anyone found responsible for violating the law.
According to community representatives, incidents of this nature have created an increasing sense of fear and insecurity among minority communities in Sindh, particularly among poor Hindu families living in rural areas.
Activists are urging authorities to ensure justice, protect the rights of minors, and guarantee that the laws designed to prevent child marriage and exploitation are fully enforced.
Many voices from social circles stress that cases involving children must be handled with utmost seriousness and compassion.
They emphasize that protecting minors and ensuring justice for vulnerable communities is not only a legal responsibility but also a moral one for society as a whole.
For more updates and detailed coverage of this case and other issues affecting the Hindu and Sindhi communities in Sindh, Pakistan, stay tuned to Sindh Renaissance.
