A federal court in Pakistan has directed the police to locate a 13-year-old Christian girl who was abducted, converted to Islam, and forcefully married to a Muslim man. The court has instructed the authorities to present Maria Shahbaz and the 30-year-old man, Shehryar Ahmad, before the court. Maria’s father had filed a petition, highlighting that his daughter was kidnapped, converted, and married against her will.
The Supreme Court Attorney revealed that Maria was taken by Ahmad last year, where she was coerced into converting to Islam and marrying him. Despite previous rejections of recovery petitions, the Federal Constitutional Court accepted the case. The attorney emphasized that the girl, being a minor, was being sexually abused under the pretext of religious conversion and marriage.
The attorney further explained that the Lahore police allegedly collaborated with the suspect, leading to the dismissal of the family’s complaint by a magistrate court. Maria was reportedly compelled to provide a false statement claiming she willingly converted and married Ahmad, despite being a minor. The family’s pleas for justice were repeatedly denied, prompting them to escalate the matter to the Federal Constitutional Court.
