Islamabad, September 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan is facing renewed international scrutiny over the treatment of religious minorities following cases involving the alleged abduction, forced conversion and marriage of minor girls from Christian and Hindu communities.
The cases of Christian girls Maria Shahbaz and Aneeqa Ishaq have drawn attention to concerns over the protection of minority girls and the ability of courts and authorities to establish whether alleged conversions and marriages were entered into freely.
Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl, was allegedly abducted, converted to Islam and married to a 30-year-old man. Her case has reached Pakistan’s higher judiciary and has also attracted international attention.
According to the European Parliament, Shahbaz was abducted, converted to Islam and forcibly married in March 2026. In a resolution adopted on July 9, the Parliament called for her access to legal representation, her family and psychological support. It also called on Pakistan to strengthen protection for religious minorities and ensure transparent and independent investigations in cases involving minors or allegations of coercion.
Aneeqa Ishaq, a 16-year-old Christian girl from Lahore, has also pursued legal action after allegedly being abducted while on her way to a church. According to the report cited in the source material, she alleged that she was forced to convert and sign documents stating that she had married of her own free will.
The cases have emerged against a broader backdrop of concerns raised by international bodies over alleged forced conversions and marriages involving women and girls from Pakistan’s religious minorities. UN human rights experts have previously documented cases involving Christian and Hindu girls, including minors, who were allegedly abducted, forcibly converted and married against their will.
The European Parliament, citing UN figures for 2025, said around 75 per cent of women and girls affected by forced conversion through marriage were Hindu and 25 per cent were Christian. Its July 2026 resolution described Shahbaz’s case as emblematic of broader human rights concerns involving minority girls in Pakistan.
The issue has also surfaced in Sindh, where minority rights organisation Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) raised concerns over the alleged abduction, conversion and marriage of two Hindu sisters, identified as Roopi, 13, and Seeta, 14.
According to VOPM, the sisters were allegedly abducted from Ibrahim Colony in Tando Allahyar district, forcibly converted to Islam and married to two Muslim men, identified as Amjad Solangi and Mansoor Solangi.
The rights organisation said the girls were later produced before a court in Tando Allahyar in connection with an abduction case and sent to a safe house instead of being immediately returned to their family.
VOPM said the girls appeared distressed outside the court and were heard asking to return home. The organisation called for the sisters to be interviewed separately in a child-sensitive environment, away from alleged husbands, religious figures and other persons who could influence their statements.
It also called for independent legal assistance and protection for the girls, as well as an urgent and transparent investigation.
The European Parliament’s July resolution similarly urged Pakistan to establish mechanisms for complaints from families of abducted or forcibly converted minority girls and ensure that such cases are investigated independently.
The latest cases have therefore brought renewed attention to longstanding concerns over child marriage, religious conversion and the protection of minority communities in Pakistan, particularly where allegations involve minors and claims of coercion.
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