Sikh girl allegedly kidnapped in Pakistan has NOT returned home
The Nankana Sahib police on Friday said that the Sikh woman, who was allegedly abducted and forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan, was returned to her family. Reportedly, the police had also claimed that they have arrested eight people in connection with the incident. However, the family of the woman, Jagjit Kaur (19), dismissed this as "fake news." Here are more details.
The incident came to light on Thursday when a video of the girl's family went viral, where they claimed that Kaur was abducted from their home. The family alleged that her captors threatened to shoot her family if she didn't convert to Islam. Meanwhile, a video of Kaur's wedding also went viral where she claimed to have converted to Islam of her own free will.
In another video, Kaur's family threatened to self-immolate outside the Governor's house in the Punjab province of Pakistan on Saturday if she is not returned to them. In the video, the family further alleged police inaction and intimidation by the group that abducted Kaur.
Notably, Nankana City Police Investigation Officer, Muhammad Jamil, had said that they have registered an FIR against six persons for the abduction of Kaur, who identified herself as Ayesha in the video. Among the suspects is Arsalan, who allegedly facilitated the marriage of Kaur to Mohammad Hassan, the prime accused. Jamil said that Hassan had pre-arrest bail and hence could not be arrested.
However, Kaur has filed a case against her own family in the Lahore High Court, accusing them of sending her death threats. In her statement to the court, she said, "I am an independent individual. I am 19 years old. I contracted marriage with one Muhammad Hassaan on August 28, 2019, of my own free will and consent." She called her family's FIR "frivolous."
Kaur added, "Neither anybody abducted me nor committed zina (illicit sexual relations) with me. I left my parent's house with three pairs of clothes, without any gold ornaments or cash. The accused persons in the FIR are innocent."
Further, according to reports, after Kaur's statement in court, the Sikh community demanded that the 19-year-old be sent home irrespective of her conversion to Islam being forced or consensual. The family denied reports of Kaur's return home and the arrest of eight people, which surfaced on Friday. They appealed to the Pakistan Army chief and Punjab Governor to get them justice.
As the incident sparked tensions between the Sikh and Muslim communities, the Punjab government has constituted a high-level panel, headed by Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, to negotiate with the 30-member committee formed by the Sikh community in connection with the case. Meanwhile, Kaur was sent to Darul Aman, a shelter home for women in Lahore, on the court's order.
