Shera urges action over minor girl’s forced marriage

LONDON: Councillor Dr James Shera, former mayor of Rugby, has condemned the “abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of a 13 years old Christian girl in Karachi”.

Shera in a press release here on Thursday criticised court’s decision to hand Arzoo Raja over to her 43-year-old “abductor”.

He said: “It is incomprehensible how a 13 years old can make life changing decisions like converting to a different religion and wanting to marry a 43 years old man. Such cruel action is not allowed under Islamic or Pakistani law.”

“Our sympathies lie with Arzoo Raja and her parents,” he added.

Shera said the incident is a betrayal of the ideals of Quaid-e-Azam.

“The Pakistani Christian community in the UK appeals to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to take immediate action to recover Arzoo Raja and hand her over to her parents”.

The press release said the UK Pakistani minorities leaders including Michael Massey, Dr Peter David, Dr Noshaba Khilijee, Councillor Morris Johns, Advocate Qamar Shams, Bishop Yousaf Nadeem Bhinder, John Bosco, Samson Javed, Tahir Solomon and Qamar Rafiq, endorsed the statement.