Spokesperson for Sindh Government and Advisor for Law, Environment & Coastal Development Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that no religion allows forced conversion, Islam allows all minorities to perform religious acts of worship. He expressed these views to the participants of the Senate committee meeting held at Sindh Secretariat on Thursday. Nand Kumar also attended the meeting. Sindh Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Secretary Human Rights Dr. Badar Jamil, Secretary Minorities Saeed Awan, Additional Secretary Law Ali Ahmed Baloch were also present in the meeting. Wahab said a separate department has been set up in Sindh , adding a quota of 5 per cent for minorities is being implemented in Sindh. “Due to non-receipt of census results, the actual number of minorities in the province is not known. It is the responsibility of the Sindh government to abide by the law.” The advisor said that after consultation with political parties, a bill on forced conversion was passed and sent to the Governor of Sindh for approval. However, when consultation with some religious parties could not be completed, the bill was withdrawn. The bill should be re-introduced in consultation with all political and religious parties and religious scholars. Marriages of girls under the age of 18 are prohibited in Sindh. “Marriages are easily arranged. In these provinces, the age of marriage is less than 18 years. They take advantage of it. At the same time, the federation should also play a role in this regard. We can work together to find a lasting solution to this issue.”
