Pakistani court orders to reopen case of Christian girl who was abducted, forced to convert and marry 30-year-old man
- A high court in Pakistan ordered reopening of police investigation in the case of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped and forced to marry her abductor.
- ADF commends the court for taking action that could further protect young women and girls from forced conversion and marriage.
ISLAMABAD (13 OCTOBER 2026) – A high court in Pakistan has ordered that a police investigation be reopened in the case of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl who was kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and married off to her 30-year-old abductor, Shehryar Ahmad.
A district court had previously accepted an investigation closure report in March. The petition, filed by the family before the High Court, noted that the police allegedly withheld material evidence that Shahbaz’s age was falsified on forged marriage and conversion documents.
“It is essential that the court investigate and urgently rule in Maria’s case. Every day that she is left with her abductor exposes her to further exploitation and abuse. A decision to free her and hold her kidnapper accountable will set a precedent for all young girls in Pakistan who are vulnerable to the widespread pattern of abductions, forced conversions, and coerced marriages that we see throughout Pakistan every year.”
— Tehmina Arora, Director of Advocacy for Asia at Alliance Defending Freedom
The development follows a July 2026 decision, where Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court agreed to hear a review petition in Shahbaz’s case.
Background
Maria Shahbaz grew up in Pakistan in a Christian home. In July 2025, she was abducted from her family by a 30-year-old man, 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 filed before Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court. While Shahbaz’s parents hoped the court would return her to her home, it instead left her in the custody of her abductor, subjecting her to further abuse and jeopardising her safety. The court never confirmed Shahbaz’s age, in violation of Pakistani law.
In July, Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court agreed to hear a review petition in Shahbaz’s case after a previous court ruling failed to verify Shahbaz’s age and left her in the custody of her abductor. 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.
“Maria has been subjected to unimaginable circumstances. The law must protect her, and the hundreds of other children like her who are targeted every year because of their religion,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF. “We have begun to see small steps to combat forced marriages and conversions of minority girls in Pakistan, and the court’s decision to reopen the investigation is another promising move.”
The Crisis of Forced Marriage and Conversion in Pakistan
Shahbaz’s case is not an isolated one. It is estimated by human rights groups that 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, the 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 attempted to forcibly convert 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.
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.
