Hearing date set for Christian girl in Pakistan who was abducted, forced to convert and marry 30-year-old man
- Top Pakistani court set to hear the case of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz on July 24, after a previous ruling that granted custody of her to the 30-year-old man who abducted her.
- ADF is providing support to the case, which could set a precedent for protecting young girls from forced marriage and conversion.
ISLAMABAD (21 JULY 2026) – In Pakistan, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) will hear a review petition in the case of Maria Shahbaz on July 24. The FCC is the highest court in Pakistan that hears constitutional cases. The hearing follows a previous ruling from the court, which returned the custody of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz back to her 30-year-old kidnapper, Shehryar Ahmad. The outcome of the case could go on to establish a precedent with stronger protections against child marriage in Pakistan.
This case is a crucial moment in the movement to protect young girls from the crisis of forced marriage in Pakistan. We hope that Pakistan’s highest court will soon agree to review Maria’s case and re-examine the evidence that was previously relied upon by the lower courts. Maria must be freed and safely returned to her family, where she will be safe from harm and able to practice her Christian faith.”
— Tehmina Arora, Director of Advocacy for Asia at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)
ADF 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.
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 December 2025, 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 in February 2026, 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 European Parliament also recently 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.
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.
ADF 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 ADF, she was ultimately freed from the coerced marriage and returned safely to her family.
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.
