On 4th November, it came to light that eleven members of Hindu families, including men, women and children, were converted to Islam in Dargah-e-Aliya Bharchundi Shareef Dargah, located in district Ghotki of Sindh province in Pakistan. Jagrita News reported that Pir Mian Javed Ahmed read Qalma in front of the Hindus and converted them to Islam.
The report suggested that some of the family members had already converted to Islam a few years back.
This is not the first time Pir Mian Javed Ahmed’s name has surfaced for converting Hindus to Islam. Just days before 11 Hindus were converted, a 25-year-old Hindu named Shankar s/o Chetan Das Bhil from Thakrato was converted to Islam by Javed Ahmed.
In June 2023, a married Hindu woman named Pooja Kumari, a resident of Kala Bridge, Karachi, was converted to Islam by Javed Ahmed. It is unclear if she was converted before marriage or after the marriage.
In Pakistan a blatant flouting of human rights- A married Hindu woman Pooja Kumari, D/o JethaRam a resident of Kala Bridge, Karachi, was converted to Islam at the residence of Pir Mian Javed Ahmed Qadri, whom she married and whose name has not been disclosed yet.… pic.twitter.com/SMlLjiIeQs
— CHINGARI Project (@chingariproject) June 26, 2023
In July 2023, Bharatiya Janata Party’s National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa shared a video of three Hindu girls being converted to Islam by Javed Ahmed. He wrote, “Sometimes attacks on temples in Pakistan… and sometimes forced conversion and marriage of girls from minority communities! Three girls, Parmish, Roshni and Chandni, aged 16 years and below, belonging to Hindu Lehlaram Panwar of Sadiqabad, District Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, were imprisoned and forcibly converted to Islam at the house of Pir Mian Javed Ahmad Qadri at Deharki, 60 km away. The families of these girls are repeatedly contacting me and requesting help. @MEAIindia Govt of India should come forward to help these minority families of Pakistan.”
पाकिस्तान में कभी मंदिरों पर हमले… और कभी अल्पसंख्यक समुदाय की बच्चियों का जबरन धर्म परिवर्तन और निकाह!
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) July 22, 2023
जिला रहीम यार ख़ान, Punjab के सादिकाबाद के हिन्दू लेहलाराम पन्हवर की तीन बच्चियां 16 साल और कम उम्र की परमेश, रोशनी और चांदनी हुई अगवा, 60 km दूर डहरकी में पीर मियां जावेद… pic.twitter.com/RVqq6Pm2a7
In January 2023, a 23-year-old woman named Amar Devi, d/o Hari Chand Daherki, was converted to Islam by Javed Ahmed.
The Hindu population is declining quickly in Pakistan
When Pakistan was created in 1947, there were around 22 per cent Hindus in the country. However, as time passed, the population of Hindus declined at a fast pace, and currently, only 2.14 per cent of population is Hindus in Pakistan. Out of 4.4 million Hindus living in the country, around 4.1 million live in Sindh, while around 2 lakh live in Punjab and less than 50,000 in Balochistan.
There have been many reports of forced conversion of Hindus to Islam in Pakistan. Furthermore, several news reports have surfaced where young Hindu girls were abducted and married to Muslims after conversion.
Even the courts in Pakistan often act against Hindus. In October 2023, it was reported that a Pakistani court sent a Hindu girl, identified as Reeta Meghwar, to a shelter home after she escaped from kidnappers. She begged the court to send her to her family, but the court refused to do so.
In the same month, it was reported that a woman named Miran Kolhi was gang-raped by Shafaq Bhargari and his friends and was forced to give a false statement by a female police officer. The woman was threatened by a female police officer in Pakistan, identified as Momal Laghari, and was asked to give a false statement in favour of the accused.
