The family of 15-year-old Christian girl Asma, who was kidnapped and later forcibly married to an employee of Sindh Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durani after alleged forced conversion to Islam, is being forced to migrate from Karachi after threats from the politically-backed abductors.
The desperate family decided to turn silent seeing inaction by police over the issue to avoid further damage.
On January 21, a judicial magistrate issued non-bailable arrest warrants and ordered police to arrest the couple within 24 hours, but the police did not arrest them due to the alleged influence of local political leaders.
The investigation officer (IO) who was tasked with arresting the couple claimed that the couple surrendered before the Sindh High Court (SHC) and filed a petition against the girl’s family and police for alleged harassment. “I went to the police station and court for justice but justice was served nowhere,” Asma’s desperate mother, Khursheed Bibi, told Pakistan Today.
“I spent a large amount on the case and have not a single penny left with me to pay the lawyer to pursue the case. It is better to turn silent against the kidnapping and forced marriage of my teenage girl,” she said. “A few days ago, Ghaji Khan called me and threatened to withdraw the case and leave the city forever, otherwise he would kidnap my other daughters as well,” she said, adding that Khan advised her to sell her house to avoid further damage.
“The IO of the case, Sub-Inspector Abdul Ghaffar also said he would neither get my daughter nor the looted money and the jewelry back,” Khursheed said. Ghaffar also advised her to withdraw the case as Khan was influential and beyond the reach of police and courts. “The IO claimed that the SHC had accepted the petition of Ghaji Khan and they could not be arrested until orders of the superior court,” she said.
“I am exhausted and have left the matter to the mercy of God,” she said. SI Abdul Ghaffar said the couple had surrendered to the SHC and filed a petition against the girl’s family and police for harassment. “The SHC accepted the petition and the matter is pending before the court,” he added. He denied Khursheed’s accusations of supporting Ghaji Khan during the investigation, saying he never asked the girl’s mother to stop pursuing the case.
Asma was kidnapped by an employee of Durani on January 9 and was later married after she was converted to Islam. A judicial magistrate on January 21 issued non-bailable arrest warrants of the couple on interim charge-sheet and ordered police to produce them before court after arresting them within 24 hours.