The case of a minor Christian girl Maria, stands as a testament to the atrocities committed by the Pakistani state. It reflects how every institution of the country, including the judiciary, is ideologically and religiously motivated rather than being rooted in fair constitutional principles. Recently, a minor Christian girl was abducted and forcefully converted to Islam . She was later forcefully married to a Muslim man. Unfortunately, the Federal Sharia Court in its ruling has upheld the conversion and forceful marriage, instead of delivering justice to the minor Christian girl Maria.
On these grounds, the Archbishop Khalid Rehmat from the Archdiocese of Lahore has staged a strong protest and “deep anguish” against the verdict of the Federal Sharia Court. He reiterated that the ruling appears to validate the marriage of a child under circumstances marked by serious allegations of abduction, forced conversion and absence of free consent. The archbishop further quoted the judgement as “profoundly disturbing and unacceptable”. He also asserted that the decision in the Maria Case not just reflects grave failure of the judicial system but also sends a dangerous message regarding the fragile state of the rule of law, prevailing in Pakistan.
The minority community of Pakistan including Christians and the minor girls of the community are extremely vulnerable to dangerous traps such as kidnap, enforced disappearances, forced conversion and forced marriage at an irrelevant age, the Archbishop further added. Such a perilous situation is prevailing across Pakistan, with no concrete action from the government or judiciary. This shows how the administrative and governance system of Pakistan works in a biased way and doesn’t protect minority rights and lives.
“It is not only contrary to Pakistan’s legal framework which clearly sets the minimum age for marriage as 18 years, but also constitutes a violation of international human rights laws”, the statement by the Archbishop of Lahore asserted. He further reiterated that Pakistan’s marriage acts and other legal provisions are purely Islamic in nature which are antithetical to the principles of Christianity and other international frameworks. “Pakistan’s marriage acts are in direct conflict with Christian laws and faith practices which uphold the sanctity of free will, dignity and consent in marriage”, the Archbishop exclaimed.
The Federal Sharia Court thus upheld the marriage of the minor Christian girl to a Muslim man, rejecting the Habeas Corpus petition filed by the father of the minor girl. Even the human rights lawyers and other international organisations have sharply criticised the verdict. They assert that such a biased verdict acts as a catalyst and further raises scope for abduction, conversion, forceful marriage and other religiously motivated illicit activities across the country. It spikes inequality in the society at the cost of the rights and lives of the minority community.
Just in: Archbishop of Lahore expressed "strongest protest, deep anguish" over top Pakistani court's decision in the case of Maria.
Maria was abducted & converted. The court upheld the custody of the girl with her abductor. pic.twitter.com/Ge9wIafpRV
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) April 6, 2026
The Archbishop urges for review of verdict & protection of minorities
The Archbishop in the statement thus condemned abduction of minor girls and forced religious conversions. He strongly refuted child marriage and asserted that such practices violate fundamental human rights, constitutional safeguards and other international commitments that Pakistan has pledged to uphold and protect. The Archbishop of Lahore thus demanded for an immediate reconsideration of the judgement, so that the justice is served in accordance with the law that will protect the minority rights. The Church also demanded for an impartial and transparent investigation in the Maria Case.
The Archbishop statement also urged to reinforce the laws and governance mechanisms in a stringent way so that such inhuman incidents do not recur and the minorities in the country, especially the young girls are not repeatedly targeted and remain safe. The church further urged for “strict accountability for individuals involved in acts of abduction, forced conversion and illegal marriages”. “We call upon the judiciary, government authorities and the civil society to act decisively and restore confidence in the judicial system. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to justice, human dignity and equal protection for all citizens of Pakistan regardless of faith or background. We will continue to raise our voice until every child is safe and every right is upheld”, the Archbishop affirmed.
On 29 July 2025, Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl, was abducted in Lahore and subsequently subjected to forced conversion and coerced marriage. The investigations conducted based on the directions of the sessions court asserted that the marriage certificate is fabricated and there are no official records pertaining to the marriage. This indicates that it was an abduction and illegal marriage. Despite such evidence the Federal Court restored the custody of the minor girl to the husband, thus validating or acknowledging the marriage.
The court in its ruling categorically rejected the evidence provided on behalf of the minor girl. It disregarded the proof of age and the birth certificate issued by Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), as well as the legal protections provided under the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act and relevant High Court precedents. This mirrors the systemic failures of Pakistan administration, biased judicial systems and the helplessness of the minority community and its young girls. Violence on minority communities are spiking across Pakistan with no accountability and unfortunately such acts are indeed legitimised by the administrative systems.
