Around 1,000 girls, many of them Christians, are reportedly abducted annually in Pakistan. These girls are later discovered after being coerced into converting to Islam and marrying older Muslim men, as per a report. The International Christian Concern (ICC) highlighted cases of five Christian girls facing upheaval and danger due to the societal acceptance of child marriages.
In some instances, when parents of the abducted girls seek legal intervention, they struggle to prove their daughters’ ages without birth certificates. Consequently, judges often grant custody to the abductors, denying parents the chance to reunite with their daughters. The ICC report shed light on the challenges faced by these families.
One case involved Usman Ali, who abducted Sabir after she rejected his marriage proposal. Despite submitting a fake marriage certificate claiming Sabir willingly converted to Islam and married him, Sabir’s family persisted in their legal battle. Eventually, the Lahore High Court ruled in favor of Sabir’s family, ordering her return.
The report also detailed the story of Maria Shahbaz, a young girl forced into marriage after being kidnapped and converted to Islam. Despite her father’s efforts to prove her age, the court controversially deemed her “mature” and allowed her to remain with her abductor. These cases underscore the challenges faced by Christian girls in Pakistan.
In another distressing incident, a 12-year-old Christian girl named Shaheen was found chained and confined by a 45-year-old man who forced her to convert and marry him against her will. Despite initial claims of voluntary conversion, Shaheen’s family pursued legal action, leading to her eventual return. Such cases highlight the plight of young girls coerced into marriages in Pakistan.
Huma Younus, a 14-year-old girl, was also a victim of abduction, forced conversion, and marriage. Despite her family’s pleas for justice, the courts failed to address her suffering. These cases expose the vulnerability of young Christian girls in Pakistan and the urgent need for legal protection and intervention.
The report further narrated the ordeal of a 10-year-old girl named Masih, abducted and married off to a man practicing polygamy. Despite efforts to reclaim her, Masih remained with her abductor, citing her conversion to Islam. The struggles faced by these families highlight the systemic challenges and injustices prevailing in cases of forced conversions and child marriages in Pakistan.
