Sindh Opposition Seeks Probe into Minor Girls Cases

Sindh Assembly opposition leader Ali Khursheedi has demanded a probe into minor girls cases, citing the alleged abduction, forced conversion and underage marriage of two girls, and questioned enforcement of the child marriage law nearly a decade after Sindh enacted it.

Khursheedi, who belongs to MQM-Pakistan, said in a statement on Tuesday that legislation alone could not protect children unless it was backed by effective enforcement. He urged the provincial government to establish the facts surrounding the cases of Bandia Kumari and Kalpana.

The two cases raised

Khursheedi pointed out that Bandia belonged to Balochistan but her alleged marriage took place in Sindh. That, he said, made it incumbent upon the provincial government to investigate the circumstances. He questioned who had solemnised the marriage and verified her age.

Raising concerns over the second case, he said Kalpana’s school certificate indicated that she was 13 at the time of her marriage. He called for an investigation into the apparent discrepancy between her educational record and an affidavit declaring her an adult, arguing that an affidavit alone could not establish legal age.

He demanded protection for both girls, age verification through authentic records and legal action against those who arranged or facilitated underage marriages. Government officials found guilty of negligence or complicity should also face accountability, he added.

He maintained that religious conversion could not be used to circumvent laws protecting children, stressing that no influential individual should be exempt from investigation and accountability.

Enforcement in the probe into minor girls cases

Khursheedi questioned why affected families had to wait for PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to take notice before government machinery swung into action. The chief minister, ministers and police should fulfil their legal responsibilities without waiting for political instructions, he said.

That criticism goes to the core of the case. Sindh was the first province in Pakistan to set 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage for both boys and girls, under the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013. The law defines a child as a person under 18 and provides penalties for those who solemnise or facilitate a child marriage.

Yet the opposition leader’s statement argues that the law’s existence has not been matched by enforcement on the ground. The question he raises is not whether Sindh has a law, but whether officials apply it when a case involves a girl from another province, a disputed age document and an influential local figure.

Earlier forums had already taken up the case

The case of the Balochistan girl had already travelled through two other forums before the Sindh Assembly opposition leader’s statement. It was raised in the Balochistan Assembly on October 19, when minority member Dr Ashok Kumar said the ninth-grade student had allegedly been taken from Sibi to Sindh, where her conversion and marriage allegedly took place.

The Senate Minority Caucus then took up the matter on October 29, under the chairmanship of Senator Danesh Kumar. It directed police in Sindh and Balochistan to take immediate steps to recover the girl and submit a progress report within seven days, according to reporting on the meeting.

Khursheedi’s intervention now adds a third forum to the same demand: a formal investigation by the Sindh government itself, with verified ages, identified solemniser and action against facilitators. No response from the provincial government was included in the Tribune report on his statement.

All allegations in the cases remain allegations at this stage. No court finding on the two marriages was reported in the Tribune item, and the demand itself is for an investigation to establish the facts.

The demand follows other cases where families sought court action, including the Hina Javed family rejecting a fresh probe, bail for four PTI leaders, and the five cleared in the Lahore women case.

Frequently asked questions

Who has demanded the investigation?

Sindh Assembly opposition leader Ali Khursheedi of MQM-Pakistan demanded the investigation in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Which cases did he raise?

He raised the cases of two girls, Bandia Kumari and Kalpana, alleging abduction, forced conversion and underage marriage, and sought an investigation into the facts of both cases.

What does Sindh law say about child marriage?

The Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013, defines a child as a person under 18 and sets 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage for both boys and girls. It provides penalties for those who solemnise or facilitate a child marriage.

Why does the Bandia case involve two provinces?

Khursheedi said Bandia belonged to Balochistan but her alleged marriage took place in Sindh, which made it incumbent upon the Sindh government to investigate who solemnised the marriage and verified her age.

Has the case been raised before?

Yes. It was raised in the Balochistan Assembly on October 19 and before the Senate Minority Caucus on October 29, which directed police in both provinces to act and report back within seven days.