Lahore, February 1, 2025 – In yet another harrowing case of forced conversion and child marriage, 13-year-old Christian girl Saba Shafique was abducted from Lahore Cantt and taken to Nawabshah, Sindh, where she was forcibly converted to Islam and married to a 35-year-old already married Muslim man.
According
to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by Shafique Masih, Saba’s father,
on January 5, 2025, at 7 AM, Saba left home to buy milk but never returned. The
family later received an "Islam acceptance certificate" and a
marriage certificate, falsely declaring Saba’s age as 18 or 19 years old.
The
accused, identified as Ali, a 35-year-old man from Walton Model Colony No. 2,
Lahore Cantt, was a well-known acquaintance of the family. Despite being already
married, he allegedly lured and kidnapped the young girl before taking her to a
different province, where he forcibly married her and falsified her age on
legal documents.
To
further complicate matters, the abductor filed a petition in the Hyderabad
Sessions Court under Section 22-A, requesting legal protection for himself and
his so-called marriage. This move is a common tactic used by perpetrators to
gain legal cover and prevent the victim’s family from reclaiming their daughter.
Saba’s
father, a retired army serviceman now working as a painter, and her mother, a
housewife, are devastated by their daughter’s abduction. The family, which
consists of four children, two sons, and two daughters, lives in their own home
in Walton Model Colony, a historically mixed Muslim-Christian neighborhood. The
area is home to several Christian churches, ministries, and human rights
activists, including the Royal Gospel Church, Masihi Basharti Church, Salt of
the Earth Church Ministries, Full Gospel Christian Church, and Paul Joseph
Evangelistic Ministry.
Saba’s
parents are deeply concerned about their daughter's well-being and desperately
want her to return home as soon as possible.
Azhar
S. Malik, Chairman of The Edge Foundation, has expressed grave concern over the
increasing cases of abduction of underage Christian girls in Pakistan. He
strongly condemned the kidnapping of Saba Shafique, emphasizing that forced
conversions and coerced marriages are becoming a severe crisis for the
Christian community.
"I
am deeply concerned that young Christian girls are being systematically
targeted, abducted, and taken away—often to different provinces—where their
families have no access to them. In Saba’s case, she was taken from Lahore and
transported to Nawabshah, Sindh. This pattern is deeply alarming and requires
urgent attention," Malik stated.
He
stressed that different institutions must play their role in addressing these
crimes. While government authorities must strictly enforce existing laws and hold
perpetrators accountable, Christian churches and community leaders also bear
responsibility.
"Churches
have extensive outreach programs and direct access to Christian families. They
must take proactive steps to educate their communities about these dangers and
teach young girls and their parents how to protect themselves from such
threats," Malik emphasized.
Malik
further highlighted that the Christian community has repeatedly urged the
government to take decisive action against the rising incidents of abduction,
forced conversions, and coerced marriages. He also emphasized the importance of
enforcing existing laws to stop this ongoing problem and ensure justice for
victims.