Organized by the Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, a seminar on protecting the rights of minority girls

Faisalabad (94 News City Reporter) Organized by the Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, a seminar was held at Bishop House Faisalabad to raise awareness about the serious issues like child marriage, forced conversion and kidnapping. The purpose of which was to create awareness among Christian girls, to emphasize on ensuring the implementation of the law and to raise the collective voice for the protection of young girls. On this occasion, Bishop Andreas Rahmat, Father Khalid Rasheed Asi, Father Abad Tanveer, Shahid Anwar Advocate, Tasneem Dawood Advocate, Akmal Bhatti Advocate, Sister Sarwat Iqbal, Zania Merib and Naila Inayat addressed the participants. In addition to religious leaders, lawyers, civil society representatives, a large number of girls and teachers from different schools of Faisalabad participated in this seminar.
On this occasion, Dr. Andreas Rahmat said that a young girl cannot become a wife, nor can her religion be forcibly changed. This is not only a grave violation of human rights but also against the spirit of the law. We demand the state institutions to take immediate legislation and effective measures against abduction of minority girls, forced religious conversion and early marriage. Every girl child has the right to education, protection and to live a life independent of her faith.
Speakers on the occasion emphasized that child marriage is legally and morally unacceptable and no girl can be forced to convert. In the seminar, the need for the protection of minority girls was highlighted in the light of the recent decision of the Constitutional Court and the laws in force in Pakistan and emphasized on the review of the decision of the Constitutional Court and demanded that
Kidnapping of minor girls should be stopped
Child marriage laws should be amended to make child marriage null and void.
Legislation should be enacted to end forced conversion
Effective measures should be taken for the protection of minority girls