MITHI:SpecialAssistanttoChief Minister on Minority Affairs Dr Khattu Mal Jeevan has said that Pakistan Peoples Party government will once again take up the Sindh Criminal Law (The Protection of Minorities Bill, 2016)in Sindh Assembly in order to protect Hindu girls from `forced conversion`.

Dr Jeevan, who is also a PPP MPA, told Dawn on Friday that he had already startedpreparations in this connection by meeting lawmakers and leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf and others.

He said the bill was the need of the hour and PPP leadership, including Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, as well as all other parties had hugely favoured it and passed it unanimously but when it was sent to Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair he returned it without according his approval under pres-sure of religious parties.

He said that not only PML-F MPA Nand Kumar Goklani but all lawmakers had taken two years to draft the bill after detailed and threadbare perusal of relevant laws and constitutions of several Islamic countries but unfortunately, leaders of some religious parties, which had no representation in assemblies, vehemently opposed it over the proposal to fix age for conversion at 18 years.

Dr Jeevan deplored that the governor sent back another bill, namely the Sindh MinorityProtection Bill, which was also passed unanimously by the assembly.

He blamed the federal government for creating hurdles in legislation through the governor and said `had the bills been passed into law in time the unfortunate incident of Ravita Meghwar would have not taken place today.

He also condemned another incident of `abduction` of three young Hindu girls from Tando Jan Mohammad town in Mirpurkhas district.