Pakistani province rejects bill against forced conversions

The governor of the Pakistani province of Sindh has rejected a bill that would have criminalized forced conversions.

Sindh Gov. Saeeduzzaman Siddiqi sent back the Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill to the provincial Assembly on Saturday without ratifying it.

"Please reconsider the legislation," the governor wrote to the Sindh Assembly Secretariat, according to The Hindu.

The governor pointed to the letters written by Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), MQM parliamentary leader Sardar Ahmed, as well as the protest by religious parties, which either proposed amendments to the bill or demanded its withdrawal.

"The Governor's plea for reconsideration means he has asked for the bill's withdrawal and for the introduction of a new law," Sindh Assembly Secretary G.M. Umer Farooq said.

The minorities bill was passed unanimously by the Sindh Assembly last November. Civil rights activists have pointed out that forced conversions of underage girls were on the rise, making it necessary to pass such a legislation. However, some religious groups, including the CII, have called the bill unconstitutional and said that it was against Sharia or Islamic law.

Several political parties took issue with the provision in the bill that prohibits a person under the age of 18 from converting to Islam even out of their free will. It also has a requirement to provide adults, who are considering changing their religion, to be provided with a safe house for 21 days to ensure that they are not being forced to convert, Times of India reported.

Under the proposed legislation, those who attempt forced conversions would face seven years' imprisonment, and those who facilitate them could be jailed for five years.

The Pakistan Hindu Council had previously stated that amending or abrogating the bill would increase the sense of insecurity among non-Muslims.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a Minority Hindu lawmaker and patron-in-chief of the council, maintained that they were not against conversion to another religion as a result of preaching or extensive study.

"The main issue faced by our community is forced conversions as the kidnapped girls ultimately submit to the key demand of the kidnappers - convert and marry a Muslim," he stated.