Stolen Childhoods: The Dark Reality Facing Hindu Girls in Pakistan

In Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, life is far from safe for girls belonging to minority Hindu communities. While the country’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and equality for all citizens, the ground reality tells a very different story. Every year, hundreds of underage Hindu girls are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to their abductors—often with the backing of local clerics and in some cases, the legal system.
What’s even more tragic is that these stories rarely make headlines in the global news cycle. Tucked away in dusty village courts and remote police stations, the struggle of these families is silenced by threats, religious dominance, and deep-rooted systemic bias.

Multiple human rights reports suggest that around 1,000 girls from religious minorities—mostly Hindus and Christians—are abducted and forcibly converted every year in Pakistan. The majority of these cases occur in Sindh, where Hindus make up a significant portion of the population, especially in districts like Tharparkar, Umerkot, and Mirpur Khas.
Many of these girls are minors—some as young as 12 or 13. They’re often taken from their homes or villages by local men, who then claim the girl converted to Islam and married them “willingly.” But behind the scenes, there’s often a harrowing story of coercion, abuse, and helplessness.

The process usually follows a chillingly familiar pattern. A young girl disappears. Days later, her family is handed a conversion certificate from a local madrassa and a marriage certificate showing she has now become someone’s wife—and a Muslim.
From there, the girl is often taken to a remote religious seminary, where she's indoctrinated and kept in isolation. When the matter reaches court, the girl's testimony is either dismissed or taken under suspicious conditions, often in the presence of her abductors.
One of the most infamous names associated with this is Mian Mithu, a cleric based in Bharchundi Sharif Dargah, who has openly facilitated hundreds of such conversions. Despite widespread condemnation and video evidence of coercion, Mithu continues to enjoy political protection. His seminary has been accused of sheltering abducted girls and arranging their forced marriages in the name of religion.

These girls face lifelong trauma. Their education ends abruptly, their childhood is stolen, and in many cases, they’re subjected to sexual abuse and violence. Once “converted,” they are cut off from their families and forced to live entirely new lives with no say in the matter.
In some instances, the girls have tried to escape or return to their families—only to be dragged back by force. The legal system often fails them, either dismissing their complaints or ruling that the conversion and marriage were “voluntary,” even when the girl is clearly underage.
Take the case of Ravita Meghwar, a 16-year-old girl abducted in 2017. Her parents pleaded that she had been taken against her will and converted to Islam. Yet, the court accepted the marriage as valid and refused to return her to her family. In such cases, the judiciary often cites Islamic law over constitutional protections, especially when religion is invoked.
Pakistan’s laws are vague and poorly enforced when it comes to child marriage and religious conversions. The Child Marriage Restraint Act prohibits marriage under the age of 18 in Sindh, but enforcement is patchy and easily overridden by religious arguments.
In 2016, the Sindh Assembly passed a bill criminalizing forced conversions. However, it was immediately withdrawn after backlash from Islamic groups who labeled it “anti-Islam.” Religious clerics staged protests, claiming that it was un-Islamic to question someone’s conversion to Islam—even if they were a minor.
What this means is that in practice, religious pressure groups hold more power than lawmakers when it comes to protecting minority girls. Efforts to reintroduce such bills have been repeatedly shut down or diluted beyond usefulness.

Victims’ families often face stonewalling from the police when they file FIRs. There are delays, refusals, or even intimidation. Some police officers are hesitant to pursue the case for fear of angering influential religious figures. In other instances, local political leaders side with the abductors to maintain their voter base.
The courts, too, frequently fail to deliver justice, especially when the girl appears in court wearing a burqa and gives a pre-scripted testimony under pressure. Judges tend to avoid conflict with religious groups, and many cases are closed without proper investigation.

The effect of these incidents on Pakistan’s Hindu population—especially in Sindh—is devastating. Entire communities live in fear, knowing their daughters could be taken at any time. Families discourage girls from going to school, stepping outside, or socializing. There's a constant fear that someone with connections could exploit the legal and religious system against them.
Many Hindus have migrated to India over the years due to this persecution. Others live in silent trauma, watching their neighbors’ daughters disappear, one after another.

In recent years, UN human rights bodies, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have raised concerns about forced conversions in Pakistan. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has also repeatedly placed Pakistan on its watchlist for violations of religious freedom.
Yet, the Pakistani government routinely denies these allegations, calling them “exaggerated” or “India-backed propaganda.” Authorities insist that all conversions are voluntary, even when clear evidence of coercion exists.
In international forums, Pakistan talks about religious harmony. But back home, minority communities continue to suffer in silence.

To truly protect minority girls, multiple levels of reform are needed:
But above all, there needs to be the political will to go against extremist elements and stand up for the rights of minorities.

The stories of Hindu girls in Pakistan being abducted, forced to convert, and married off against their will are not just human rights issues—they are a stain on the conscience of a nation. A country cannot call itself democratic if its minorities live in fear, its girls are unsafe, and justice is a privilege only a few can afford.
Until Pakistan addresses this issue with sincerity, courage, and legal reform, these girls will continue to be silenced—not by their choice, but by a system that refuses to see them.

Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!