Sindh Govt Bans Forced Conversion, Child Marriages : Chief Minister Sindh

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Government of Sindh has enacted laws and completely banned forced conversion of religion and child marriages

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Feb, 2020 ) :Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Government of Sindh has enacted laws and completely banned forced conversion of religion and child marriages.

This he said while talking to an American delegation led USA Special Advisor Religious Minorities Knox Thames, said a statement on Monday.

Talking to the delegation, Syed Murad Ali Shah said that his government has passed a law under which nobody could change his/her religion before attaining the age of 18. "Now, the forced conversion of the religion has become contrary to the law," he said and added that child marriage has also been banned. "The marriage age starts from 18-year of age," he said.

He said that he belonged to Sehwan, the land of Sufi Lal Shahbaz Qalander where people of different religion gather to celebrate his Urs. "The same position is at other shrines such as Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and others where Hindu, Muslims and Christian observe their Urs collectively," he said.

The other delegation members were Officer Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and labor Razi Hashmi , Political Officer-West Anne Sackville and Consul General of USA in Karachi Robert Silberstein.

The chief minister was assisted by Sindh Minister for Education Saeed Ghani, Minister for Religious Affairs and Local Government Syed Nasir Shah and CM's Advisor on Law Murtaza Wahab.

The chief minister said that Sindh was the land of Sufis and saints, therefore, people of this province naturally respect human rights, believe in peaceful co-existence and live in harmony with the people of other religions.

"This is the reason that no inter-faith disputes have ever emerged in the province," he said.

USA Special Advisor for Religious Minorities Knox Thames said that the student from Primary classes should be given human rights education so that they start respecting other religions and thoughts of their people when they grow up.

Saeed Ghani said that the Muslim students were given education of Islamiat in religious education class while Hindus and Christian students were taught civics education in their religious education class.

He said that as an education minister he was working out a plan to impart religious education to the students of their respective religion they belonged to.

The chief minister said that his party gave tickets to three Hindus candidates on general seats in general election of 2018, of them Dr Mahesh returned as a MNA from Tharparka and Harim Ram and Gianchand as MPAs from Mirpurkhas and Thano Boolakah, Jamshoro, respectively.

He added that the PPP had never won the seat of Mirpurkhas city but our Hindu Candidate won this Muslim majority seat. "This is evidence how much our people respect Hindus in Sindh."The visiting American delegation appreciated the Sindh government efforts for giving equal rights to the minorities.