European Parliament demands Pakistan free 13-year-old Christian girl in forced marriage, conversion

Members of the European Parliament have demanded that Pakistan provide access to family and psychological support for Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl who was abducted and forced into marriage and conversion to Islam. The European Parliament passed a resolution earlier this month concerning the human rights situation in Pakistan, specifically addressing Shahbaz's case.

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Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian who was forced to convert to Islam after being abducted last year, must be provided with access to her family and psychological support.

Shahbaz was abducted on July 26, 2025, by a 30-year-old man. Despite most Pakistani provinces requiring individuals to be at least 18 to marry, she was married to her abductor in March. According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, police in Lahore allegedly delayed filing the family's initial report and influenced a judge to dismiss their abduction complaint. Five days after her abduction, a judicial magistrate awarded custody of Shahbaz to her captor, reportedly after accepting falsified documents claiming she was 18 years old, while disregarding evidence presented by her family.

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She was abducted on July 26, 2025, by a 30-year-old man and immediately married to him after police in Lahore delayed filing the family's first information report (FIR) and influenced the judge to dismiss their abduction complaint.

The Federal Constitutional Court upheld this decision in March 2026, formalizing the marriage. This case highlights a significant issue faced by Christian minorities in Pakistan, where forced conversion through marriage is common. UN figures indicate that 25% of those forced to abandon their faith in this manner are Christian, with Hindu women and girls forming the majority. International Christian Concern reports that up to 1,000 Christian, Hindu, and Sikh girls are abducted annually.

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Twenty-five percent of those forced to abandon their faith in this manner are Christian, while the majority are Hindu women and girls.

The European Parliament's resolution urged Pakistan's authorities to establish a national framework to end child marriage and create a mechanism for handling complaints from families of abducted individuals. The MEPs called for perpetrators to be prosecuted, the country's judicial framework to be strengthened, and abducted girls to be returned safely, emphasizing the deeply entrenched and systemic nature of these human rights violations.

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As many as 1,000 Christian, Hindu and Sikh girls are abducted each year.