Human Rights Body In Pakistan Condemns Murder Of Christian Minor Girl

Human Right Focus Pakistan condemned the murder of a Christian minor girl, who was kidnapped while coming back from the hospital, and urged authorities to bring justice to the victim and her father, according to the statement released by HRFP.

The victim was identified as Gulnaz, who was kidnapped on December 25 while she was coming back from the hospital with her father. Her father was also kidnapped. She went to the hospital after complaining about some pain in her stomach.

Earlier, on January 1, the family of the victim informed the police that they found the dead body on December 27 2022, from the linked canal.

According to the statement, "Saiqa Hamid, sister of Gulnaz asked relatives to find both. Shan Masih nephew of Gul Hamid started finding both of them but when he was unable to locate them from the hospital or on the way to the hospital, he registered First Information Report (FIR) at a local police station under section 365 PPC (Kidnapping)."

"HRFP team fact-finding the case, visited the family at their home, met the police, visited the hospital and enquired about the incident from different people around. As stated in FIR, both were kidnapped and after assaulting Gulnaz she was murdered. HRFP ensured to victim's family for legal support and other immediate assistance throughout until Gul Hamid would be found, and the perpetrators were brought to justice," the statement added.

Naveed Walter, president of HRFP said the abductions of Christian girls have not been stopped or slowed down yet. The minorities' situation remained the same as it has been worsened before. Gulnaz is a new case, but the format of targeted crime is the same as has happened multiple times with minority girls and their families.

Gul Hamid her father is still missing, he could be under detention by kidnappers or may be killed, and the family is doubtful about him. Naveed Walter said if this case is not resolved by quick actions of the government, the culprits could be encouraged for more same crimes with soft targets of minority girls, he added, as per the statement.

The year 2022 has been alarming for Pakistan's religious minorities.

In September, members of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) asked the Pakistan government to come up with timely reforms and legislative changes on human rights issues and turn them into concrete improvements, especially the prevention of any misuse of blasphemy laws, reported The Express Tribune.

Minority rights in Pakistan were a heated topic for discussion throughout 2022.

The year started with a Sri Lankan national being lynched and his body set on fire by a mob in Sialkot.

A month later, a man accused of burning pages of the Holy Quran was tortured and killed by a mob in Punjab's Khanewal district, according to The Express Tribune.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)