Daily Times

Hearing of the petition filed by two Ghotki sisters was conducted in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday.

Ghotki sisters were allegedly converted to Muslims and married to Muslim men.

The court established a five-member commission to find facts by probing whether the girls were underage or not, at the time of marriage.

The name of a renowned Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani was included as the fifth member.

Four members of the commission were already selected as amicus curiae to assist the court including Human Rights Minister Dr. Shireen Mazari, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairperson Dr. Mehdi Hasan, National Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz and veteran journalist and human rights activist I.A. Rehman.

The government provided protection to the girls from the men that they were forcibly married to in order to avoid revenge.

According to the petition, the two girls left their home on March 20 and were provided legal help on March 22 after revealing their unwilling conversion.

It was accused in the petition that the girls were born in a Hindu family and converted as they were impressed by the teachings of Islam. They did not inform the matter to their family due to life threats.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences examined the bones of girls to confirm their age. PIMS report said that the girls were not minors at the time of their marriage.

The family of the two girls and PML-N member of National Assembly from minority Dr. Darshan rejected the report.

An independent medical board confirms the age of the girls, he said.

I had received the report but would not comment on its findings, Justice Minallah stated.

He ordered the medical board to submit the report on the next hearing.

Father of the girls also filed a petition asking the court to establish a medical board to determine the exact age of the girls.

It is requested in the petition to direct the government to “conduct a psychological test to ascertain their mental capability/state of mind and for diagnosis of Stockholm syndrome”.

Stockholm syndrome has been defined as the “feeling of trust or affection felt in many cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim towards a captor”.

The court lashed out during the hearing on Tuesday over “lethargic attitude” of the federal and provincial governments.

Neither the interior secretary nor the chief secretary of the Sindh government had appeared before the IHC even after prior notices, said Justice Minallah.

On March 26 the IHC had ordered the state to take the girls under custody until the case is decided. This was done to ensure their safety.

The court is suspended until next hearing which is on April 11.