Sikh girl's abduction: VHP urges UN for stern action against Pak

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) After India asked Pakistan for "immediate remedial action" in the case of a minor Sikh girl, forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim, now the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has urged UN human rights arm to direct Islamabad for stern action against culprits.

"We condemn the abduction, conversion & illegal forceful marriage of the daughter of the Sikh Granthi & urge UN Human Rights Office to put pressure on Pakistan for stern action against the culprits," said VHP chief Alok Kumar.

The VHP had earlier raised objections when two Hindu girls were abducted and forcefully married off.

Speaking to IANS, VHP spokesman Vinod Bansal said they were cases of attack on Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan by jihadi elements. "Pakistan has no right to talk about Kashmir. They are attacking its own people, particularly minorities, the way minorities were being attacked in Kashmir," he said.

Earlier the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said it had received a number of representations from various quarters of the civil society and members of Sikh religious organisations on the incident of abduction, forced conversion and marriage of a Sikh Granthi's minor daughter in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan.

"We have shared these concerns with the government of Pakistan and asked for immediate remedial action," said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is reported to have set up a 30-member panel to oversee the case.

The girl, Jagjit Kaur now known as Aeysha, in a statement to a local court said she had wilfully embraced Islam and refuted charges levelled in the police complaint by her parents.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh too voiced shock over the incident, which has gone viral on Twitter with the girl's brother Manmohan Singh appealing to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to return his sister and provide them security. He also said the incident could impact the Kartarpur corridor, to be opened in November, and also the Kashmir issue.

"Shocking incident of a Sikh girl being kidnapped & forced to convert to Islam in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan. Call upon @ImranKhanPTI to take firm and immediate action against the perpetrators. Request @DrSJaishankar to take up the issue with his counterpart at the earliest," the Punjab CM tweeted.

In a video, being circulated on social media, the girl's brother relates how his sister was abducted and threatened that unless she converted to Islam, her brother and father would be killed. "She was forcibly converted. It's my appeal to Imran Khan and General Qamar Javed Bajwa to help us, and that my sister be brought back home. We apprehend that tomorrow such incidents should not take place on the Kartarpur corridor," he says in one video.

"We belong to Nankana Sahib. Last night some goons came to our house and abducted my sister and converted her to Islam. We filed a complaint, but no one wanted to register our complaint. After we returned home the goons came back and threatened us to take back our complaint, or we would also be converted to Islam if we want to remain here.

"It's our appeal to PM Imran Khan that we be given security. If this is not done, then on August 31 we will go to the governor's house and immolate ourselves. We want our sister back safe and sound," he says in the video appeal.

The girl surfaced on Thursday after marrying a Muslim.