Sindh High Court (SHC) has observed that the marriage of Huma, a 14-year-old Christian girl, who was allegedly abducted from Karachi, to her abductor Abdul Jabbar would be considered valid under Islamic Sharia law if she had reached maturity.
The case was heard by a two-member bench on Monday. Parents the girl expressed their shock, when Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Irshad Ali Shah of SHC termed the forced marriage of their underage daughter valid under Islamic Sharia law.
Huma Younus, 14, a resident of Karachi’s Zia Colony, was allegedly abducted from her home on October 14, 2019. She was taken to neighboring Punjab province, where she was converted to Islam and forced to marry her Muslim kidnapper. Huma’s parents had filed a petition in SHC seeking annulment of the marriage under the Child Marriage Restraint Act.
Teenage girl’s father Younis Masih has said that he was expecting to see his daughter at the court hearing as he hasn’t seen her since her abduction. “There is no justice for minorities in Pakistan, they are not treated equally. It really broke my heart after hearing the judges' remarks,” Huma’s mother Nagina said.
The court has directed the police to determine the age of the Catholic girl and has adjourned the hearing until March 4.