MIRPUR- Chairman, Pakistan United Christian Movement (PUCM) Albert David has appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the alleged increased forced conversion of non-Muslims in various parts of the country.
David expressed deep concern over a report released by Movement for Solidarity and Peace saying that an estimated one thousand Christian and Hindu women are forced to convert and marry Muslim men every year in the country.
In a press statement issued , the PUCM chief demanded that special measure should be taken to ensure that the motive behind a conversion was not marriage specific, all such cases should be investigated impartially and where someone has willfully converted they should be allowed to practice their preferred religion however if someone has been forced to convert and to marry, the perpetrators should be tried and sentenced according to the local laws. He also stressed on the need for a specific ordinance to stop this illegal practice, Non-Muslims parliamentarians should recognize their law making responsibilities and work towards bringing in a law in this regard.
"This is an alarming situation, allegedly forcing someone into a marriage is not only a violation of constitutional and universal human rights it is also against sharia and a criminal offence under the local laws," David observed adding  "Non-Muslim Pakistanis are already victims of constitutional injustice and inequality coupled with and socio-political discrimination", he blamed.