Forced conversion?: Anjali’s case transferred to CJ Maqbool Baqar

The young girl had expressed no confidence in the two-judge bench

KARACHI: A petition by a Hindu father against the conversion and marriage of his 12-year-old daughter under duress had been referred to the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice after the girl expressed no confidence in the two-judge bench.

Last week, a division bench, comprising Justices Ahmed Ali M Sheikh and Syed Muhammad Farooq Shah, had declined to proceed with the plea against Anjali’s forced conversion and marriage when her lawyer expressed no confidence in the two judges.

Forced conversion

Petitioner Kundandas Meghwar, Anjali’s father, had submitted in the petition that his 12-year-old daughter, Anjali, whose Muslim name is Salma, was abducted and forcibly converted to Islam but the Ghotki police were not taking action against the culprits involved in her kidnapping, forced conversion and marriage.

No confidence

On December 10, the two judges had declined to proceed with the petition after the girl expressed no confidence in the bench.

Her lawyer, Ghulam Qadir Jatoi, said the petitioner had come to know that the Sindh chief minister had approached one of the bench members and asked to favour the petitioner, who is the girl’s father. Taking notice of the girl’s statement, the bench had declined to proceed with the matter.

On Thursday, the petition came up for hearing before another bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar. Advocate Syed Ali Ahmed Tariq, representing the petitioner, requested for adjournment. Advocate Abdul Majeed Pirzada, who was representing the girl’s husband, Riaz Ahmed Siyal, raised no objection to the plea.

The Roster Branch reported that earlier the two judges had referred the matter to the SHC chief justice, but the latter was not available.

The bench directed the office to place the order of December 10 before the CJ.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2014.