PETITION TO PROTECT HINDU AND OTHER RELIGIOUS MINORITY GIRLS IN PAKISTAN
The issue
Stop forced religious conversions, abductions and forced marriages of minor girls
To:
The Australian Government
The Australian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan
Subject: Urgent appeal for protection of Hindu and other religious minority girls in Pakistan
We, the undersigned concerned residents of Australia, wish to express our deep concern about reports of young girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan, particularly Hindu and Christian girls, being abducted, pressured or forced to change their religion and married against their wishes.
Every child has the right to safety, education, freedom of religion and the protection of their family. No girl should be forced to change her religion or enter a marriage against her will. These rights must be protected regardless of a person's religion or community.
1. The case of Bindiya Kumari – a 14-year-old Hindu girl
In October 2026, media reports raised serious concerns about the case of Bindiya Kumari, a 14-year-old Hindu girl from Sibi, Balochistan. Reports alleged that she was abducted, taken to Sindh, forcibly converted to another religion and married while still a minor.
The matter was raised by members of the Balochistan Assembly and the Senate Minority Caucus. Subsequent media reports stated that a minor Hindu girl had been recovered. However, recovery does not mean the matter has been resolved. We are concerned that she has not yet been returned to her parents.
We ask the Australian Government to take an interest in this case and urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure the girl's safety, investigate the allegations and protect her rights.
2. A serious problem affecting minority girls
This is not an isolated concern. Reports from human rights organisations have documented cases involving the abduction, forced religious conversion and forced marriage of girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan.
According to the Centre for Social Justice, 94 cases involving abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of minority women and girls were documented in 2025. Of these, 71 involved Hindu girls or women and 23 involved Christian girls or women. These are reported cases, and the actual number may be higher because families may be afraid to report incidents.
The United Nations has also raised serious concerns about this issue.
3. United Nations concerns
On 22 April 2026, United Nations human rights experts expressed concern about continuing patterns of abduction and forced religious conversion through marriage affecting minority women and girls in Pakistan.
The UN statement reported that, among cases identified in 2025, approximately 75% involved Hindu women and girls and 25% involved Christian women and girls. Nearly 80% of the reported incidents occurred in Sindh. Adolescent girls aged 14 to 18 were particularly affected, with some younger girls also reported.
The UN experts called for proper investigations, stronger legal protection and a minimum marriage age of 18 throughout Pakistan.
These concerns deserve urgent attention from the Pakistani authorities and the international community.
4. What we are asking the Australian Government to do
We respectfully request that the Australian Government and the Australian High Commission in Pakistan:
Urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure that Bindiya Kumari is safely returned to her parents, with her safety, best interests and wishes properly considered, and provide clear information about her current situation and the steps being taken for her family reunification.
Raise concerns with the Pakistani Government about the reported abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of underage girls from religious minority communities.
Urge the authorities to investigate these cases independently and fairly, and ensure that anyone responsible for crimes is held accountable.
Encourage stronger protection for underage girls and ensure that no child is forced into marriage or religious conversion.
Urge authorities to protect the parents and families who report these incidents from threats, pressure, harassment or intimidation.
Encourage proper age verification using official birth and school records, rather than accepting claims about a girl's age without independent checks.
Support the right of every person in Pakistan to freely choose and practise their religion without threats, force or pressure.
Continue monitoring the treatment and safety of religious minority communities, especially women and children.
5. Our message
This petition is not against any religion or community. It is about protecting children, human rights, freedom of religion and the right of every girl to make decisions about her own life when she is old enough to do so.
We believe that a 14-year-old child deserves protection, care and the opportunity to grow up safely with her family. No child should be taken away from her family, forced to change religion or married against her wishes.
We are residents of Australia who believe that human rights and the protection of children should be upheld everywhere. We respectfully ask the Australian Government to raise this issue with the Pakistani authorities and use appropriate diplomatic channels to encourage urgent action.
We hope our collective voice will help bring attention to this serious issue and encourage meaningful action to protect vulnerable girls.
Submitted by:
Concerned Residents of Australia
Petition coordinator:
Name withheld for family safety and privacy reasons.
Signatories:
Concerned Australian residents and supporters.
The attached signature sheets form part of this petition.
Supporting sources and references
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – UN experts concerned about forced conversion through marriage in Pakistan, 22 April 2026.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/04/un-experts-concerned-forced-conversion-through-marriage-pakistan
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) – Report on abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage cases involving minority women and girls, 8 September 2026.
https://www.csw.org.uk/2026/09/08/report/6905/article.htm
National Commission on the Rights of Child, Pakistan – Situation analysis of children from minority religions in Pakistan.
https://ncrc.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Minority-Children-Situational-Analysis.pdf
Dawn – Balochistan MPAs seek recovery of abducted Hindu girl, 20 October 2026.
https://www.dawn.com/news/2038423/balochistan-mpas-seek-recovery-of-abducted-hindu-girl
The Express Tribune – Assembly seeks recovery of Hindu girl, 20 October 2026.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635849/assembly-seeks-recovery-of-hindu-girl
Senate of Pakistan – Senate Minority Caucus press release, 29 October 2026.
https://senate.gov.pk/en/news_content.php?catid=6&cattitle=Press+Releases&id=ODA0Ng%3D%3D&subcatid=59
121
The issue
Stop forced religious conversions, abductions and forced marriages of minor girls
To:
The Australian Government
The Australian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan
Subject: Urgent appeal for protection of Hindu and other religious minority girls in Pakistan
We, the undersigned concerned residents of Australia, wish to express our deep concern about reports of young girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan, particularly Hindu and Christian girls, being abducted, pressured or forced to change their religion and married against their wishes.
Every child has the right to safety, education, freedom of religion and the protection of their family. No girl should be forced to change her religion or enter a marriage against her will. These rights must be protected regardless of a person's religion or community.
1. The case of Bindiya Kumari – a 14-year-old Hindu girl
In October 2026, media reports raised serious concerns about the case of Bindiya Kumari, a 14-year-old Hindu girl from Sibi, Balochistan. Reports alleged that she was abducted, taken to Sindh, forcibly converted to another religion and married while still a minor.
The matter was raised by members of the Balochistan Assembly and the Senate Minority Caucus. Subsequent media reports stated that a minor Hindu girl had been recovered. However, recovery does not mean the matter has been resolved. We are concerned that she has not yet been returned to her parents.
We ask the Australian Government to take an interest in this case and urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure the girl's safety, investigate the allegations and protect her rights.
2. A serious problem affecting minority girls
This is not an isolated concern. Reports from human rights organisations have documented cases involving the abduction, forced religious conversion and forced marriage of girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan.
According to the Centre for Social Justice, 94 cases involving abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of minority women and girls were documented in 2025. Of these, 71 involved Hindu girls or women and 23 involved Christian girls or women. These are reported cases, and the actual number may be higher because families may be afraid to report incidents.
The United Nations has also raised serious concerns about this issue.
3. United Nations concerns
On 22 April 2026, United Nations human rights experts expressed concern about continuing patterns of abduction and forced religious conversion through marriage affecting minority women and girls in Pakistan.
The UN statement reported that, among cases identified in 2025, approximately 75% involved Hindu women and girls and 25% involved Christian women and girls. Nearly 80% of the reported incidents occurred in Sindh. Adolescent girls aged 14 to 18 were particularly affected, with some younger girls also reported.
The UN experts called for proper investigations, stronger legal protection and a minimum marriage age of 18 throughout Pakistan.
These concerns deserve urgent attention from the Pakistani authorities and the international community.
4. What we are asking the Australian Government to do
We respectfully request that the Australian Government and the Australian High Commission in Pakistan:
Urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure that Bindiya Kumari is safely returned to her parents, with her safety, best interests and wishes properly considered, and provide clear information about her current situation and the steps being taken for her family reunification.
Raise concerns with the Pakistani Government about the reported abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of underage girls from religious minority communities.
Urge the authorities to investigate these cases independently and fairly, and ensure that anyone responsible for crimes is held accountable.
Encourage stronger protection for underage girls and ensure that no child is forced into marriage or religious conversion.
Urge authorities to protect the parents and families who report these incidents from threats, pressure, harassment or intimidation.
Encourage proper age verification using official birth and school records, rather than accepting claims about a girl's age without independent checks.
Support the right of every person in Pakistan to freely choose and practise their religion without threats, force or pressure.
Continue monitoring the treatment and safety of religious minority communities, especially women and children.
5. Our message
This petition is not against any religion or community. It is about protecting children, human rights, freedom of religion and the right of every girl to make decisions about her own life when she is old enough to do so.
We believe that a 14-year-old child deserves protection, care and the opportunity to grow up safely with her family. No child should be taken away from her family, forced to change religion or married against her wishes.
We are residents of Australia who believe that human rights and the protection of children should be upheld everywhere. We respectfully ask the Australian Government to raise this issue with the Pakistani authorities and use appropriate diplomatic channels to encourage urgent action.
We hope our collective voice will help bring attention to this serious issue and encourage meaningful action to protect vulnerable girls.
Submitted by:
Concerned Residents of Australia
Petition coordinator:
Name withheld for family safety and privacy reasons.
Signatories:
Concerned Australian residents and supporters.
The attached signature sheets form part of this petition.
Supporting sources and references
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – UN experts concerned about forced conversion through marriage in Pakistan, 22 April 2026.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/04/un-experts-concerned-forced-conversion-through-marriage-pakistan
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) – Report on abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage cases involving minority women and girls, 8 September 2026.
https://www.csw.org.uk/2026/09/08/report/6905/article.htm
National Commission on the Rights of Child, Pakistan – Situation analysis of children from minority religions in Pakistan.
https://ncrc.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Minority-Children-Situational-Analysis.pdf
Dawn – Balochistan MPAs seek recovery of abducted Hindu girl, 20 October 2026.
https://www.dawn.com/news/2038423/balochistan-mpas-seek-recovery-of-abducted-hindu-girl
The Express Tribune – Assembly seeks recovery of Hindu girl, 20 October 2026.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635849/assembly-seeks-recovery-of-hindu-girl
Senate of Pakistan – Senate Minority Caucus press release, 29 October 2026.
https://senate.gov.pk/en/news_content.php?catid=6&cattitle=Press+Releases&id=ODA0Ng%3D%3D&subcatid=59
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Petition created on 30 October 2026