UMVA has learned that a staggering number of young Christian girls in Pakistan are being kidnapped from their homes and forced into marriages with Muslim men, with estimates suggesting around 1,000 cases every year.
These girls are often discovered months later, after being coerced into converting to Islam and marrying much older men. In many cases, their parents are unable to reclaim them due to a lack of birth certificates, which can lead to judges granting custody to the abductors.
One heart-wrenching example is Adan Sabir, who bravely rejected a marriage proposal from Usman Ali in July 2025, only to be kidnapped at gunpoint. Ali produced a forged marriage certificate, but the Lahore High Court eventually ordered Sabir's return home.
However, Ali's actions turned violent when he learned of Sabir's engagement to a Christian man, forcing her family to live in hiding. Similarly, Maria Shahbaz was just 13 when she was abducted, forced to convert, and married off to a Muslim man in July 2025.
A judge ruled against her parents, and Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court ultimately declared her conversion valid, placing her marriage under Islamic law. The case highlights the vulnerability of young Christian girls in Pakistan, who are often left defenseless against abduction and forced marriage.
Farah Shaheen's story is another tragic example: at just 12 years old, she was abducted from her Christian family and forced to marry a 45-year-old Muslim man. Her testimony in court suggested she had willingly married her husband, likely due to fear.
Shaheen's parents eventually gained custody of her after an eight-month court battle. Other cases, such as Human Younus, who was abducted at 14 and coerced into marriage, and Laiba Masih, who was taken at just 10 years old, demonstrate the urgent need for action to protect these young girls.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that these cases are just a few examples of a much larger problem, with many more young Christian girls being kidnapped and forced into marriage every year. The lack of effective protection and support for these victims has created a culture of fear and vulnerability.
The situation demands attention and action from authorities and the international community to prevent these heinous crimes and protect the rights of young Christian girls in Pakistan.
