Pakistan Supreme Court Resolves Dispute Over Hindu Women's Conversions

The New York Times  and the Times of India reported from Pakistan Wednesday on the surprise outcome in the case of three Hindu women who converted to Islam in order to marry their husbands. In cases widely followed in Pakistan, the Pakistan Hindu Council petitioned the court claiming that the women were forced to convert. Last month Pakistan's Supreme Court intervened in the cases and ordered the women sequestered for three weeks so they could decide, without pressure, what they wanted to do. Then in a hearing on Wednesday, the Court told the women that they were free to go wherever they chose, and would get police protection. The women were then taken to the court registrar's office-- without any relatives accompanying them-- so that they could each make a statement in private as to their wishes. Each of the women chose to remain Muslim and go with her new husband. The court ordered officials to report in two weeks on implementation of the order to honor the women's decisions. However, the women's parents, backed by Hindu law makers, were not satisfied with the outcome.