Christian girl abducted, forced to convert and marry 30-year-old man, seeks justice from Pakistani court

• Case set to challenge a previous ruling that granted custody of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz to the 30-year-old man who abducted her.
• Alliance Defending Freedom is providing support to the case, which could set a precedent protecting young girls from forced marriage and conversion.

ISLAMABAD (9 JULY 2026) – A 13-year-old girl from Pakistan, Maria Shahbaz, is seeking justice in a Pakistani court after a previous ruling placed her in the custody of Shehryar Ahmad, the 30-year-old man who abducted her from her family last year. Shahbaz was taken from her family, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to her abductor. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is supporting the case and calling for an end to forced marriage and conversions in Pakistan.

“Throughout Pakistan, the pattern of abductions, forced conversions, and coerced marriages of underage girls to much older men is alarming. Hundreds of girls each year find themselves victims of these sham marriages, losing their personal freedoms and facing exploitation and abuse.

Maria is only 13 years old, yet she has been through more than any child should ever have to face. The court must now do what is right by granting her freedom and establishing a precedent that will protect vulnerable young girls from these horrific acts.”

— Tehmina Arora, Director of Advocacy for Asia at Alliance Defending Freedom

Shahbaz now waits for a hearing date to be set after the Federal Constitutional Court failed to verify her age and returned her to the custody of her abductor. Alliance Defending Freedom continues to advocate for victims of child marriage and forced conversion, holding that no child should be entrapped in a sham marriage, nor stripped of their basic rights or religious freedom.

Today, the European Parliament highlighted Shahbaz’s case in a newly adopted resolution, calling for her return to her family and strongly condemning the broader, disturbing pattern of child abductions and forced marriages throughout Pakistan.

Background

Maria Shahbaz grew up in Pakistan in a Christian home. In July 2025, she was abducted from her family by 30-year-old Shehryar Ahmad, forced to renounce her faith, and married against her will to her kidnapper. Since then, she has been exposed to grave abuse and exploitation.

In February 2026, her case was taken to Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court. While Shahbaz hoped the court would return her to her parents, it instead returned custody to her abductor, subjecting her to further abuse and jeopardising her safety. The court never confirmed Shahbaz’s age, in violation of Pakistani law.

Under Pakistani law and international standards, a minor cannot legally consent to conversion or marriage. A previous investigation had already confirmed Shahbaz was a minor before the court issued its ruling and had also found the marriage certificate to be forged. The Federal Constitutional Court granted custody anyway.

“The court that is due to hear this case has an opportunity to correct a serious injustice. Maria is a child. She was abducted, her documents were found to be forged, and the court handed her back to the man who took her — without even confirming her age. That cannot be allowed to stand,” stated Lazar Allah Rakha, a local allied lawyer following the case.

The Crisis of Forced Marriage and Conversion in Pakistan 

Maria’s case is not an isolated one. More than 1,000 underage girls are forced into conversion and marriage every year in Pakistan. The pattern is consistent: abduction, fabrication of marriage and conversion documents, and then reliance on those documents before courts to block a family’s access to their child. Local authorities are often complicit, and courts have frequently failed to uphold the country’s Child Marriage Restraint Act, which sets the legal age of marriage for girls at 18 years.

Alliance Defending Freedom has supported dozens of girls who have suffered these abuses. Reeha Saleem was 16 years old when she was abducted by her neighbour while on her way home from school in the Gujrat district. She was taken to an unknown location by four men, subjected to violence and forcibly married to one of her captors. After two months of abuse, she was able to flee — yet, since she remained formally “married” to her abuser, police refused to protect her. Her marriage was ultimately annulled by a court in Pattoki in 2024.

In another case, 14-year-old Maira was forcibly married and converted from her Christian faith. She escaped her captor, but not before he brutalised, blackmailed, and forcibly converted her — and when she sought justice, a high court initially ordered that she be returned to her abductor. With legal support from Alliance Defending Freedom, she was ultimately freed from the coerced marriage and returned safely to her family.

“This is not just about Maria, though Maria’s situation is urgent and she must be brought home. This ruling, if it stands, will further erode the confidence of the minority communities in the justice system. This review petition is an opportunity for the court to relook at their previous order and implement the law”, Rakha added.

Recently, Pakistan has begun to take notable steps to address this crisis. This year, Punjab — Pakistan’s largest province — passed the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 years. The legislation also emphasises that courts must put the best interests of children first in marriage cases. This amendment has come as leaders around the globe, including UN experts, EU MEPs and UK Parliamentarians, have warned about the crisis of forced marriage and conversion in Pakistan.