Forced conversion: Faryal Shah’s family set up a meeting with Nawaz Sharif

Sharif has been invited by Sardar Imtiaz Durrani to hold a rally in Garhi Yaseen.

KARACHI:

The family of the girl who had the provincial and federal governments on their toes – Faryal Shah, aka Rinkle Kumari, might meet the chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, who will come on a two-day visit to Shikarpur on 8th and 9th May.

He plans to hold a rally in Garhi Yaseen after being invited by Sardar Imtiaz Durrani, who is the cousin of Agha Siraj Durrani of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

According to a PML-N leader, the leaders of the Hindu community and Faryal’s family contacted the party themselves for a meeting for discussing the problem of forced conversions. “The chief [Nawaz Sharif] will talk about the suspicious role of PPP MNA Abdul Haq, aka Mian Mitho, behind these conversions and why it is only the Hindu girls in Sindh who convert.”

Faryal’s uncle, Raju, confirmed that the family got in touch with the minority leaders of PML-N and requested them to set up a meeting with Nawaz Sharif. “We still believe that Rinkle was abducted and forced to convert,” he said. “We will meet every politician and every leader to hope to get our daughter back.”  However, the main reason for Nawaz’s visit seems to be the formal announcement of the merger of Mumtaz Bhutto’s Sindh National Front with PML-N, on May 9, in Mumtaz Bhutto’s hometown, Ratodero, in Larkana.

PML-N eyes Lyari too

There were rumours circulating that Nawaz Sharif will also visit Karachi and meet with Uzair Baloch, the leader of the defunct Peoples Amn Committee (PAC). The PML-N has formally invited Uzair Baloch to join the party but there has been no official announcement about a visit to Lyari. But for his part, the Lyari stalwart is indecisive about joining any political party. Last week he publicly denounced his attachment with the PPP. While talking to The Express Tribune Uzair Baloch said, “The 14-member committee of elders will make the decision for me. I can’t tell when I will make the announcement. It might take one week or maybe two.”

According to Uzair Baloch, all the major political parties besides PML-N offered him a position - Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-F and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, have made offers.

Correction: Uzair Baloch's name had been misspelt in an earlier version of this article. The correction has been made.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2012.