A single bench of IHC comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued these directions while hearing the petition filed by Reena, Raveena and their spouses, Safdar Ali and Barkat Ali, who were seeking protection.
In their petitions, the girls stated that they belonged to a Hindu family of Ghotki, Sindh but converted to Islam willfully as they were impressed by the teachings of Islam.
The Chief Justice constituted a five-member commission comprising Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani, chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Dr Mehdi Hasan, chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women Khawar Mumtaz and veteran journalist and human rights activist IA Rehman. Secretary interior will act as secretary of the commission.
The commission after meeting the petitioners and other concerned persons will record opinion by submitting an interim report before the court on next hearing, inter alia, highlighting whether the two sisters are free from any pressure whatsoever and that their statements were not given as a result of some undue influence.
The court ordered, "The commission will further probe into the impression of alleged forced conversions in Sukkur Division and insecurity, if any, on part of the minorities and submit a report, preferably within four weeks."
"The federal government will constitute a medical board consisting of senior medical specialists of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. The medical board will examine the two petitioner sisters and record its opinion regarding their age and medical status," said the IHC order.
It added the federal government through the secretary interior will submit a report before the next date. The court also directed the secretary interior and chief secretary Sindh, or a senior officer authorised by him, to appear before the court to inform the stance of their respective governments and the measures taken to dispel the impression of alleged forced conversions.
In their petitions, the girls and the two men they were married to had sought protection against possible adverse action by the government. It stated that the girls left their home on March 20. On March 22, after announcing that they had willingly converted, the girls sought legal help.
According to the petition, the two girls were born in a Hindu family and converted because they were "impressed by Islamic teachings." It claimed that they did not inform their family because of threats to their lives.
During the hearing, a medical report prepared by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) based on a bone test of the two girls, stated that they were not minors at the time of their marriages to the Muslim men.
The report was dismissed by the family of the two girls and said only an independent medical board could determine the age of the girls.
Justice Athar stated that he had received the report but would not comment on its findings. The medical board was asked to submit a report at the next hearing.
Earlier, the girls' father had also filed a petition in the IHC, requesting the court to constitute a medical board "for determination of the exact age" of the two sisters. He also sought directions for the government to "conduct psychological test ... to ascertain their mental capability/state of mind and for diagnosis of Stockholm syndrome."
Stockholm syndrome has been defined as the "feeling of trust or affection felt in many cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim towards a captor."
On Tuesday, the IHC bench expressed displeasure over, what it said, 'lethargic attitude' of the federal and provincial governments as neither the interior secretary nor the chief secretary of the Sindh government had appeared before the IHC despite prior notices.
The court deferred the hearing till April 11.