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RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal spoke to desperate Hindu families who say their daughters have been abducted and coerced into converting to Islam. They are married off to Muslim men, and ties with their families have been cut, with some saying they aren’t able to see their daughters without being guarded.
Radio Mashaal’s journalist Daud Khattak visited Pakistan’s Sindh Province, where human rights activists say around 1,000 Hindu girls are forced to convert each year. He spent seven days on location and traveled 2,500 km, speaking to families, the authorities, and rights organizations.
He also spoke to an influential cleric called Mian Mitha, who runs what his critics call a notorious “conversion factory.” Few feel empowered to challenge him. “Prove a single case of forced conversion against me and I am ready to accept any punishment.”
A few cases have made it to court, but the ruling usually hinges on the young woman’s statement that she converted and married of her own free will. Rights activists admit coercion has been difficult to prove.