May 19, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Ramish Ram, 42, is desperately wandering in search of his teenage daughter, who went missing from Sahib Khan Jiskani village, located in Rohri Taluka of Sukkur District.
He says Sanhiya Meghwar, 15, a ninth-grade student, disappeared from their home around 11 pm on Friday night.
“We were half asleep when three armed men broke into our house and abducted my daughter,” Ramish recalled. However despite rushing out of the house in panic and searching the neighborhood, questioning neighbors about her whereabouts and the identity of the armed men, there was no trace of her.
After an endless night of torment, Ramish went to the Jhangro Police Station to report her missing, hoping that the authorities would assist in recovering his daughter. But he returned hopeless, as the police merely assured him they would ‘look into it’.
According to the FIR filed at Jhangro Police Station, the details of the incident are as follows.
“On May 15, three armed men entered my house and forcefully abducted my daughter with the intention of committing zina. I then approached the village elders for help, but she is still missing, and I have no information about her whereabouts.”
Ramish adds, “There is an atmosphere of mourning in our home. My wife and daughters keep fainting again and again due to the shock. People are constantly coming in, everyone saying something different — some offering suggestions, others just expressing their grief — and in all this confusion, we don’t know what to do or how to respond.”
Although his daughter is still missing, a video of her has surfaced on social media in which she says, “I have willingly changed my religion and converted to Islam. I have evidence in the form of a written affidavit, and I request my family not to panic as I am happy and safe.” However, her father disputes the claims made in the video. “She is just a teenager and cannot legally convert to Islam. It is also clear from the video that she is being forced,” he insists.
Ahmed Saeed Qazi, DIB in charge, told Voicepk.net that the investigation is ongoing. “The SSP Sukkur has personally instructed the concerned SHO to recover the girl and produce her in court. Acting on this directive, we traced her to Barkondi Sharif in District Ghotki. It has been reported that she converted to Islam in Sukkur and now goes by the name Hajra. However, she has not yet been recovered by the police. The SHO has only received her affidavit, which states that she converted willingly and got married.”
According to data compiled by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), at least 83 cases involving the abduction and forced conversion of minority girls and women were reported in 2024 across Pakistan. Among the victims, 63% were Hindu and 37% Christian. Geographically, 72% of these cases occurred in Sindh, while 28% were reported in Punjab.
An ex-MPA from the area told Voicepk.net, “We have requested Sindh Law Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar to ensure the case is handled according to the law, which clearly states that girls under the age of 18 cannot be married or converted. We demand that the girl be placed in a safe environment, granted access to her parents, and that the law be followed.”