Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl abducted in July 2025, was forced to convert to Islam and marry her abductor, a 30-year-old man, in March 2026, despite legal marriage age restrictions in Pakistan. Following her kidnapping, authorities failed to act promptly, allowing her captor to present falsified documents that misrepresented her age. The European Parliament recently passed a resolution demanding that Shahbaz be granted access to her family and psychological support, while urging Pakistani authorities to enforce laws against child marriage and protect vulnerable minorities. Forced conversions and marriages are prevalent issues in Pakistan, with UN estimates indicating that approximately 1,000 girls from minority communities are abducted each year, primarily targeting Christian and Hindu girls.
Why It Matters
This situation highlights systemic human rights abuses in Pakistan, particularly affecting religious minorities. International organizations have documented that forced conversions through marriage are a recurring issue, with many victims being young girls. The European Parliament’s resolution emphasizes the need for legal reforms and protections for these vulnerable individuals, particularly in light of the current legal environment that fails to safeguard their rights. Historical cases of similar abductions underscore a pattern of negligence within the judicial system regarding minority protections, necessitating urgent reform to prevent further violations.
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