March 26, 2026
By Shokat Korai
MIRPURKHAS
A minor Hindu girl at the centre of an alleged abduction and forced marriage case in Sindh has told a local court that she married of her own free will, even as her family insists she is underage and was coerced — leaving the matter entangled in legal and factual complexities.
Laxmi Kolhi, who was allegedly abducted from Kot Ghulam Muhammad tehsil of Mirpurkhas district, recorded her statement before the court. Speaking to Voicepk, Advocate Murtaza Narejo, representing the girl’s parents, said that while recording her statement, she told the court that she had not been abducted and had instead married voluntarily. However, the lawyer maintained that “the facts are otherwise.”
He said Laxmi Kolhi was underage and, according to her B-Form, she was only 12 years old. “Under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, marriage at this age is legally impossible,” he added.
He further stated that anyone involved in contracting a child marriage — including the cleric solemnising the nikah, witnesses, or the groom — was liable to punishment. He also pointed out that the nikahnama presented in court was unverified, suggesting that “the marriage may not have taken place at all.”
The court, meanwhile, ordered verification of the marriage certificate and directed that a medical examination be conducted to determine the girl’s age. It also sent Laxmi Kolhi to a shelter home for 11 days. The lawyer said that while the B-Form was a primary document, the court had sought a medical test for further satisfaction, which would establish her actual age.
On the other hand, police have arrested the main suspect, Parvez Mari, among the four nominated in the case. He is currently in police custody on physical remand. Police said further action would be taken in accordance with court orders.
FIR registered after protest
The incident is being seen as part of a troubling pattern in Sindh, where minor girls from vulnerable communities — particularly the Hindu minority — are allegedly subjected to forced conversions and marriages.
Shiva Kachhi, a leader of the Darawar Ittehad, said the police had initially refused to register an FIR. “It was only after people staged a protest and blocked the main road that the case was registered and the accused arrested,” he said, alleging that influential individuals enjoyed the backing of local authorities and that poor families were often denied support.
He also questioned the procedure of religious conversion. “The girl was simply handed a certificate of conversion to Islam. The state should ensure that anyone wishing to convert appears before a magistrate. Instead, such people approach individuals with no legal authority, who issue such certificates — this is a grave injustice,” he said.
Mother’s plea: ‘She is speaking out of fear’
Laxmi Kolhi’s mother alleged that her daughter had been forcibly abducted and that the family had received threats. “I am her mother — who knows a child’s age better than a mother? She is a minor. She was taken away forcibly, and now she is giving this statement out of fear,” she said.
The girl’s father, Ramesh Kolhi, also expressed helplessness. “We are poor people. Even the influential members within our own community do not support us. We have no one but God. All we want is justice for our daughter,” he said.
What lies ahead
The process of Laxmi Kolhi’s initial medical examination has begun in Mirpurkhas. The results of these tests are expected to play a key role in helping the court reach a conclusion in this complex case.
Incidents of this nature involving minor Hindu girls continue to surface in Sindh, and for vulnerable families, the pursuit of justice remains an arduous and uncertain journey.