The Pakistani government has established a committee to review the recent decision of a court to uphold the allegedly forced marriage of an underage Christian girl to a 30-year-old Muslim man.
The parents of Maria Shahbaz say that she was abducted in July of last year when she was only 12. As happens so often in such cases, Maria was forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man.
So far her parents have been unsuccessful in their legal attempts to have their daughter, who is still only 13, returned to them.
In March the Federal Constitutional Court rejected a petition filed by Maria’s father, leading to protests across Pakistan by Christians and human rights organisations.
Subsequently, the Pakistani government has formed a 37-member national consultative committee. The committee is charged with reviewing the case and proposing measures that would put a stop to forced conversions and marriages.
The Christian and Hindu minorities in Pakistan are often at the bottom of society and young girls in both communities are often targeted by Muslim abductors.
Abduction, followed by rape, forced conversion and marriage is the typical modus operandi. Exact figures are hard to come by, but it is estimated that hundreds and possibly as many as a thousand minority girls are victims of such crimes every year.
Commenting on Maria’s case, a spokesperson for Open Doors, a group that monitors persecution of Christians, said, “We urge the Government of Pakistan to take immediate action to protect all minors, regardless of religion or belief.
“A judgment of this nature from a constitutional court sets a deeply concerning precedent and risks shaping similar decisions in lower courts.
"We call for urgent justice and continue to pray for protection, accountability, and decisive action. Any delay will leave more girls at risk of forced conversion and sexual abuse.”
