The medical report of two sisters Aasia and Nadia – who had converted to Islam from Hinduism in Khanpur after leaving their native town of Ghotki on Tuesday – claims that they were 19 and 18 years old, respectively, at the time of their appearance in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The report — which was compiled by a medical board of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) — has refuted speculations that the girls were underage at the time of wedding which could, otherwise, result in the annulment of the marriage.
Earlier, the court had ordered the State to take over custody of the girls, and they were subsequently handed over to Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat after they pleaded with the IHC for protection.
“Even if the girls are placed in a shelter home, the federal government must ensure their protection,” the judge asserted while adding that “a district and sessions judge will be appointed a guardian in this case.”
The IHC chief justice had ordered that a female officer be appointed with the sisters to ensure their safety.
Following the hearing, both girls were transported to a shelter home.
Moreover, their purported spouses, Barkat and Shafqat, had submitted a request for protective bail. The plea stated that they fear detention as both had been named in an earlier abduction FIR registered by the girls’ father.
Earlier, they had filed a petition while rejecting speculations on the media that they were abducted and forced to convert to Islam. Their counsel had maintained that both sisters are being harassed and facing life threats.
The sisters stated that they were impressed by the teachings of Islam for a long time, and they “did not accept Islam under pressure or life threats”.