Christian woman ‘abducted’, ‘converted’ to Islam in Pakistan. 11 US lawmakers turn up heat on Islamabad
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Christian woman ‘abducted’, ‘converted’ to Islam in Pakistan. 11 US lawmakers turn up heat on Islamabad")
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Eleven US lawmakers, led by Rep. Chris Smith, have urged Pakistan to protect 18-year-old Christian woman Neha Faqir, following her alleged abduction, forced Islamic conversion, and denied court petition.
A bipartisan group of 11 US lawmakers has urged Pakistan to safeguard the rights and safety of an 18-year-old Christian woman who was allegedly abducted and later converted to Islam. Congressman Chris Smith, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, raised concerns over the case of Neha Faqir and called on the Pakistani government to protect her fundamental rights.
“The circumstances surrounding Neha Faqir's disappearance and subsequent conversion raise profoundly troubling questions about her safety, freedom of religion, and ability to exercise her rights without coercion or intimidation,” Smith said.
The case came to light after Christian Solidarity International (CSI) raised concerns on June 10. Also read: WATCH | ‘Orange snake’ in the hills: Vande Bharat’s stunning Western Ghats journey goes viral
According to CSI, Faqir went missing on March 24 after attending a sewing course and was later found at a madrassa in Lahore, where she had converted to Islam. A Pakistani court has since rejected a petition filed by Faqir's family seeking her return.
In a letter dated August 20 to Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Smith and 10 other US lawmakers called on Islamabad to take “appropriate action to ensure a just resolution of this matter”. The letter was also signed by Representatives James P McGovern, French Hill, Gus Bilirakis, Andy Harris, María Elvira Salazar, Riley Moore, Randy Weber, Michael Cloud, Brad Sherman and Blake Moore.
The lawmakers urged Pakistani authorities to take steps through the judicial system to ensure Faqir's physical safety and well-being, as well as confidential access to independent legal counsel.
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They also called for Faqir to be allowed to communicate with her family freely and privately. Any future court proceedings, they said, should be conducted in conditions that allow her to express her wishes freely and without intimidation or undue influence.
The US lawmakers referred to Pakistan’s Constitution, including Article 20, which provides for freedom to profess, practise and propagate religion, and Article 25, which guarantees equality before the law.
“Pakistan’s Constitution protects religious freedom and equality before the law, but this means little if a young woman cannot safely and freely express her own beliefs,” Smith said.
