The European Parliament has passed a resolution urging Pakistani authorities to halt the abduction and forced conversion of girls from religious minority groups. The resolution cited UN data indicating that about a quarter of forced religious conversion cases involve Christian girls. Members of the European Parliament called on Pakistan to establish a national framework to combat child marriage and address complaints from families of abducted or converted minority girls.
Highlighting the case of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl allegedly abducted and forced to convert to Islam, the resolution criticized the legal proceedings favoring the accused despite evidence of falsified documents and the girl’s underage status. The European Parliament demanded legal and psychological support for Maria to aid her recovery from the traumatic experience.
The resolution also raised concerns about over 1,000 minors from minority communities facing similar abuses annually, with allegations of complicity by local authorities and courts neglecting child protection laws. Members of the European Parliament called for transparent investigations into all reported cases of abduction and forced conversion, emphasizing the safe return of affected girls to their families and the reinforcement of legal protections for children and religious minorities.
