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{{Short description|Pakistani cleric and politician}}
{{Short description|Pakistani cleric and politician}}
{{About|the Pakistani cleric and politician|the historical Sufi saint|Mian Mittha|the jewellery brand|Mian Mitthu (brand)}}
{{About|the Pakistani cleric and politician|the historical Sufi saint|Mian Mittha|the jewellery brand|Mian Mitthu (brand)}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person  
| name              = Mian Abdul Haq
| name              = Mian Abdul Haq
| image            =
| image            =

Revision as of 06:36, 9 October 2026

This article is about the Pakistani cleric and politician. For the historical Sufi saint, see Mian Mittha. For the jewellery brand, see Mian Mitthu (brand).
Mian Abdul Haq
ReligionIslam
Other political affiliationGrand Democratic Alliance (2018)
Born
Mian Abdul Haq

1936 (age 89–90)
Ghotki, Sindh, British India
Other namesMian Mitthu, Mian Mithu, Mian Mithoo, Mitthu Mian, Pir of Bharchundi Sharif
CitizenshipPakistani
OccupationCleric, politician
Years active2008–present
Known forAlleged involvement in forced conversions of Hindu girls
Political partyPakistan Peoples Party (2008–2012)
Children100+ (including grandchildren)[1]

Mian Abdul Haq (Urdu: میاں عبدالحق; born 1936), commonly known as Mian Mitthu or Mian Mithu, is a Pakistani cleric and former politician from the Ghotki District of Sindh. He is the custodian (pir) of the Dargah Bharchundi Sharif, a Sufi shrine and madrasa in Ghotki.[2][3]

Mian Mitthu served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, having been elected on a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket from NA-200 (Ghotki-I).[1][2] He has been accused of involvement in the abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage of Hindu girls in Sindh, allegations which he has consistently denied.[4][2] In December 2022, the UK government sanctioned him for "forced marriages and forced religious conversions of non-Muslims and minors."[2][5]

Early life and background

Mian Abdul Haq was born in 1936 in the Ghotki District of Sindh.[1][6] He belongs to an influential family in the region and is the custodian of the Dargah Bharchundi Sharif, a Sufi shrine located near Daharki in Ghotki District.[7][8] The shrine is one of the major centres in Sindh associated with the conversion of religious minorities to Islam.[3][8]

Political career

Mian Mitthu entered electoral politics in 2008, winning a seat in the National Assembly of Pakistan on a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket from NA-200 (Ghotki-I).[1][2] He served as an MNA from 2008 to 2013.[1] In 2012, the PPP denied him a ticket following the controversy surrounding the Rinkle Kumari case.[2][9] In 2015, Imran Khan attempted to invite him to join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but was forced to disassociate himself after protests from the Hindu community.[2]

In the 2018 general elections, he contested as a candidate of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), though the alliance ultimately denied him a ticket.[9] He reportedly bagged more than 90,000 votes in the election.[10]

Dargah Bharchundi Sharif

The Dargah Bharchundi Sharif, located in Ghotki District, is a Sufi shrine and seminary run by Mian Mitthu.[3][8] According to a 2021 investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the seminary is one of three major hubs in Sindh for converting religious minorities to Islam.[3] The investigation described the seminary as bearing "the hallmarks of a 'conversion factory,' with girls and young women vanishing from their homes, marrying and converting virtually overnight, and kept away from their family – often by court order and with the backing of Mitha."[3]

Mian Mitthu has stated that he does not force anyone to convert, saying: "We don't force anyone to convert. But if someone comes to my Dargah to convert to Islam, it becomes my religious obligation to provide them all-out support."[3]

Allegations of forced conversion

Mian Mitthu has been accused of facilitating the abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage of underage Hindu girls in Sindh.[4][8] The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has documented the alleged involvement of Mian Mitthu and his nephew, Mian Muhammad Javed, in forced conversions and coerced marriages in Ghotki District.[8] According to the HRCP, "Mian Mithu's seminary is involved in the abductions of underage Hindu girls who are then forcibly converted and married off to Muslim men."[8]

A 2021 report by RFE/RL estimated that as many as 1,000 girls and young women may be forcibly converted each year in Pakistan, primarily from the Hindu community.[3] The report noted that numerous high-profile cases are centred on the Dargah Bharchundi Sharif seminary.[3]

In a communication to the Government of Pakistan, several United Nations special rapporteurs raised the case of a 17-year-old Hindu girl who was allegedly abducted in February 2012 and held at Mian Abdul Haq's residence before being taken to the Dargah Bharchundi Sharif, where she was forced to sign a marriage certificate and convert to Islam.[11] The communication alleged that Mian Abdul Haq "slapped Ms. repeatedly in front of the judge and threatened her in order to stop her giving a statement against her abductors."[11]

Rinkle Kumari case

Mian Mitthu first came to national prominence in 2012 following the case of Rinkle Kumari, a young Hindu woman who was allegedly abducted and forced to convert to Islam.[4][2] Rinkle Kumari, a resident of Mirpur Mathelo in Ghotki District, was reportedly abducted in February 2012 and taken to the Dargah Bharchundi Sharif, where she was converted and married to a Muslim man named Naveed Shah.[11][2] Her family filed a petition in court alleging that Mian Mitthu had supported her abduction and used his political influence to influence the legal proceedings.[7][12]

The case sparked protests by Hindu groups across Pakistan.[13] Rinkle Kumari's family alleged that Mian Mitthu had threatened to kill them if she returned to her parents.[12] In a 2012 court hearing, Rinkle Kumari initially stated that she had been kidnapped and forced to change her religion against her will, but later changed her statement.[11] The court ultimately ruled that she had embraced Islam and would remain with her husband.[7]

Other cases

  • In March 2019, two Hindu sisters, Reena and Ravvena, were allegedly kidnapped and forcibly converted and married. The HRCP reported that they were moved to Rahim Yar Khan by armed disciples linked to Mian Mitthu.[8]
  • In late 2020, Simran Kumari, a 17-year-old Hindu girl, was reported missing from her aunt's house in Mirpur Mathelo. Her family was later informed that she had approached Mian Mitthu's shrine to accept Islam, adopting the name Ayesha and marrying a Muslim man on the same day. The seminary announced her age as 21.[8]
  • In May 2020, a minor Hindu girl named Kavita Kumari was allegedly abducted and forcibly converted to Islam at Mian Mitthu's dargah.[14]
  • In 2025, a Chinese girl named Jessica was reportedly converted to Islam and renamed Saira Khatoon, with reports linking the conversion to Mian Mitthu.[15]

Ghotki riots (2019)

In September 2019, riots broke out in Ghotki town following allegations of blasphemy against a Hindu school principal.[4][16] A video later emerged showing Mian Mitthu leading a mob of rioters.[4] The hashtag #ArrestMianMithoo trended on Pakistani Twitter, with users demanding his arrest.[4][16] Mian Mitthu denied any role in the riots, stating to The Express Tribune: "I was not even aware of what happened in Ghotki. I was not even present there."[16] However, videos on social media showed his elder brother, Mian Aslam, prompting the anti-Hindu mob.[16] Three cases were registered against over 200 people in connection with the riots.[16]

UK sanctions (2022)

On 9 December 2022, the UK government sanctioned Mian Abdul Haq as part of a package targeting human rights violators.[2][5] The British High Commission stated: "The UK takes freedom of religion or belief very seriously and is committed to protecting minorities around the world. The new package of sanctions targets those violating fundamental freedoms. This includes Mian Abdul Haq, a cleric of the Bharchundi Sharif shrine in Ghotki, Sindh, who is responsible for forced marriages and forced religious conversions of non-Muslims and minors."[2] The sanctions mean that Mian Mitthu is unable to do business or undertake economic activity with UK citizens or businesses, and is denied entry to the UK.[2] He was one of 30 individuals sanctioned in total, of whom 18, including him, were targeted for "violations and abuses of human rights."[2]

The World Sindhi Congress thanked the UK government for imposing sanctions on Mian Mitthu.[17][18]

Responses and denials

Mian Mitthu has consistently denied allegations of forced conversion.[2][19] In a 2021 interview with The Times of India, he blamed "politics and foreign funding" for defaming him and the Dargah Bharchundi Sharif.[19] He has claimed that the girls who convert at his seminary do so of their own free will.[3]

In 2016, the Senate of Pakistan's functional committee on human rights termed forced conversions "illegal" and against the principles of Islam.[20] During the hearing, a senator stated: "An individual named Mian Mitthu was active in this regard, encouraging his followers to force young girls to become Muslims."[20]

Personal life

Mian Mitthu has a large family comprising more than 100 sons, daughters, and grandchildren.[1] In April 2021, at the age of 85, he married a 45-year-old widow, the daughter of Jam Abdul Sattar Dahar.[1][10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "85-year-old former MNA Mian Mithu 'marries for the second time'". Pakistan Observer. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 "UK sanctions controversial Sindh cleric". Dawn. 10 December 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Inside Pakistan's 'Conversion Factory' For Hindu Brides". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Mian Mithu, the extremist cleric whom Hindu families dread in Pakistan's Sindh". ThePrint. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Written questions and answers – Written questions, answers and statements – UK Parliament". UK Parliament. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "Forced conversions a religious duty in Pakistan". UCA News. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "ALARMING: Who is 'Mitthu Mian' and why do Hindus in Pakistan fear him?". Zee News. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Northern Sindh: In Search of Solutions (PDF) (Report). Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Grand Democratic Alliance denies ticket to Mian Mithu". The Express Tribune. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Mian Mithu – Pakistan's octogenarian politician marries for the second time". Daily Pakistan. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Communication to the Government of Pakistan". United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "'Forcibly converted' Hindu women choose to stay with husbands". The Hindu. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  13. ↑ "Love jihad? Hindus in Pakistan ask 'where should we go', protest forced conversions". India Today. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  14. ↑ "Minor Hindu girl abducted and forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan by Islamic cleric Mian Mithoo". Times Now. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  15. ↑ "PAK में चायनीज लड़की का जबरन धर्म परिवर्तन, जेसिका बनीं सायरा खातून… फिर चर्चा में आया मियां मिट्ठू". TV9 Hindi. 1 February 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 "Netizens for arrest of anti-Hindu Pakistan riots mobster". The Quint. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  17. ↑ "World Sindhi Congress thanks UK for sanctions on Pak cleric accused of forced conversions". ThePrint. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  18. ↑ "World Sindhi Congress thanks UK for sanctions on Pak cleric accused of forced conversions". Eastern Eye. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Forced conversion charges: Being defamed by political rivals, says Pak cleric". The Times of India. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Senate body rules forced conversions 'illegal'". Dawn. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2026.
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