ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Mohammad Yousuf said Thursday that no one could be forced to convert their religion, DawnNews reported.

Addressing a conference on interfaith harmony in the federal capital, the minister said the Constitution protected the rights of minorities and that in Islam a woman’s agreement for marriage was necessary.

Yousuf said talks had been resumed with outlawed organisation Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to ensure peace in the country.

Separately, he said Pakistan looked forward to a cooperative relationship with other countries.

Chairman of the Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar underscored that the rise in kidnappings of Hindu girls from Sindh and Balochistan was worrisome for the Hindu community living in Pakistan.

Kumar added that the abducted girls were being forced to convert to Islam.

He called upon Muslim scholars to raise their voice against the abduction of Hindu girls and said girls below 18 years of age were not allowed to change their religion.