By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan at the Lahore Press Club, has demanded strict enforcement of child marriage restraint laws and the immediate annulment of the marriages of Kalpana Meghwar, 13, from Umerkot, Sindh, and Bindiya Kumari, 14, from Sibi, Balochistan and also the reversal of the Constitutional Court judgment in the case of Maria Shahbaz, 13, from Lahore. In each case, the parents allege abduction, forced religious conversion, and child marriage.
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The Press Conference has addressed by Chairman Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan Mr. Samson Salamat, Convener Joint Action Committee Mr. Irfan Mufti, Executive Director Rah-e-Nijat Minister Safdar Chaudhary, Mr. Kheta Ram Advocate (Hindu Community), Ms. Sabina Malik (Good-will Ambassador Rwadari Tehreek), and Laiba Imran (Organizer of Rwadari Tehreek). The parents of Maria Shahbaz also addressed the press conference, alongside civil society representatives, human rights activists, legal experts, and community leaders from diverse faiths and backgrounds.
Rawadari Tehreek Pakistan has been struggling against underage marriages and forced conversions of minors for more than a decade. In the cases of Bindiya Kumari and Kalpana Meghwar, the Chairman of Rawadari Tehreek sent open letters to the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), the Inspector General of Police, Sindh, and the Chief Minister of Sindh, seeking action within each institution’s mandate, including an independent human rights inquiry and scrutiny of official negligence, urgent police action and accountability, and province-wide implementation of child marriage legislation.
Kalpana Meghwar’s family alleges that she was taken from Umerkot on 18 October 2026 and brought to Bharchundi Sharif, Daharki, where she was allegedly converted and married. Her NADRA and school records state her date of birth as 7 March 2013. Subsequent documents reportedly describe her as an adult who acted voluntarily. An FIR has been registered, the discrepancy in age records and the circumstances of the case require impartial investigation.
Bindia Kumari remains missing amid allegations that she was abducted from Sibi and taken to Sindh, where she was allegedly converted and married. The matter has been raised in the Baluchistan Assembly and taken up by the Senate Minority Caucus, but her whereabouts and safety remain unconfirmed. Rwadari Tehreek calls for urgent, coordinated action by Sindh and Baluchistan authorities to trace her and ensure her protection.
Addressing the press conference, the Chairman of Rwadari Tehreek said that the protections guaranteed under the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013 (Sindh Act No. XV of 2014) and similar laws in other provinces must be enforced in practice and should not remain merely on paper. In Punjab, the child marriage of Maria Shahbaz is a clear violation of child marriage laws, as are the cases of Bindiya and Kalpana in Sindh and Baluchistan. The state institutions are duty-bound to protect children without any discrimination based on caste, colour, creed, or social status, and the protection of children must not depend on media attention or public pressure, rather, it requires functioning institutions, consistent enforcement of the law, and accountability whenever a child is at risk,” added the Chairman of Rawadari Tehreek.
The parents of Maria Shahbaz, in their appeal, called upon the relevant state institutions to ensure justice for their daughter and hold those responsible accountable. They urged the authorities to protect their child and ensure her safe return to the family.
