Minor Christian Girl Forcibly Converted, Married To Muslim Man In Pak's Punjab: Human Rights Body

(MENAFN- IANS) Islamabad, Jan 28 (IANS) A minor Christian girl from Pakistan's Punjab province was abducted and forcibly converted to Islam and married off, a leading human rights organisation said on Wednesday, adding that this case once again raises serious concerns about the safety of children and religious minorities across the country.

According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), the 13-year-old Christian girl -- a sixth-grade student -- from Sahiwal district in Punjab was reportedly abducted and then forced into two life-altering decisions "no child can consent to" -- a coerced religious conversion and a forced marriage.

"Her parents describe themselves as powerless and vulnerable. The mother is disabled after a leg fracture. The father is physically impaired and earns a fragile living selling eggs, doing what he can to keep the household afloat. In a home where every rupee matters and every day is already a struggle, the child's disappearance has become a nightmare that doesn't end when morning comes," the rights body stated.

Citing accounts from the family and community members, the rights body mentioned that the alleged abductor is Ali Haider, reportedly from the Muslim Jatt community in Pakistan.

After the abduction, the girl was allegedly compelled to convert to Islam and coerced into marriage with the abductor.

The VOPM said community representatives also criticised the incident, calling it "a grave violation of human rights and especially the rights of children".

The rights body stated that days have passed without meaningful progress in recovering the girl, while the family have faced repeated threats -- aimed at intimidating them and preventing them from pursuing legal action.

"It is a cruelty layered on cruelty: first, the child is taken, then the parents are told to accept it or face harm. For families already struggling with disability and poverty, fear can become a cage," the VOPM noted.

The rights body cited activists stating that "forced conversion for marriage thrives where power is unequal, where communities feel isolated, and where perpetrators believe they can act without consequence."

The VOPM called on the Pakistani authorities to rescue the child immediately, ensure her safety and well-being, safeguard the family from threats, and pursue a transparent legal process that treats the case as what it is -- an alleged crime against a minor, not a "private matter" to be buried under pressure and fear.

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