A Pakistani high court today handed over the custody of a minor Christian girl, who was abducted, converted to Islam and forced into a married by a Muslim man, to her parents.
Hearing a plea of the parents of a 12-year-old girl, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) said, he was not convinced that the minor accepted Islam by free will.
He said it seems to be under "inducement and compulsion".
"I am constrained to observe that this sort of act of abduction and taking shelter of Islam is totally uncalled for and unacceptable," the judge said, adding that Muslims, Christians and all other citizens were equal when it comes to constitutional guarantees.
The judge handed over the custody of the minor girl to her parents after she expressed her willingness to go with them, when she was asked by the court.
Justice Siddiqui also warned the parents against any sort of torture or harm to the girl, but did not dissolve the marriage, saying for it the proper forum was the relevant Family Court.
The judge also asked the police to investigate the matter and take action if proved that the minor as abducted as alleged by her parents.
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