Converted Pakistani Sikh girl could not be produced in court due to security issues

The teenage Sikh girl, who was allegedly abducted and converted to Islam before being married to a Muslim man in Pakistan's Punjab province, could not be produced before a special judicial magistrate on Monday due to security issues, according to a court official.

Jagjit Kaur, 19, who is the daughter of a Sikh priest, was on Friday sent to Darul Aman (shelter home) on a court order after she told the judge that she married Mohammad Hassan of her locality with her own free will.

"A police official of the Nankana City police station told the judicial magistrate that there were some serious security issues therefore she couldn't be produced before the court," a court official told PTI.

The judicial magistrate adjourned the proceedings and directed the police to produce her after Ashura vacation on September 10.

A source in the Punjab police told PTI that there were intelligence reports that the girl might be hurt during the court appearance by her relatives.

"To anticipate this, the police decided not to present her today before the court as Prime Minister Imran Khan was also present in the city to attend the Sikh convention. We could not afford any eventuality," the source said.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday granted protective bail to Hassan, who contracted marriage with Kaur.

Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Mushtaq granted the protective bail to Hassan till September.

Hassan's counsel told the LHC that the FIR against him and others was lodged by the girl's family under pressure as she contracted marriage with him (Hassan) with her own free will.

"Ms Kaur embraced Islam without any coercion and was given Muslim name Ayesha before nikhah (marriage) of the couple was solemnised. She has already recorded her statement..before a judicial magistrate concerned denying the charges of abduction and forced conversion to Islam," he said.

An FIR was filed with the Nankana Police Station on Thursday last week against six people for abducting and forcibly converting Kaur to Islam.

Another official told PTI that efforts are being made to put pressure on Hassan to divorce Kaur so that she could be sent back to her parents.

"The government is facing strong reaction from the Sikh community that is not ready to accept this marriage. Ahead of opening of the Kartarpur Corridor and 550 birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the Pakistani government cannot afford annoyance of local Sikhs which created tension among the Sikhs and Muslims, he said.