European Parliament slams Pakistan for forced conversions, child marriages
What's the story
The European Parliament has slammed Pakistan for the rampant abduction, forced conversion, and child marriage of young girls from religious minorities. The resolution comes in light of the case of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl who was abducted, converted to Islam, and married off to a 30-year-old man. Despite her family's legal battle against the marriage, Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court upheld it in March 2026, despite school and birth records proving she was a minor.
Legal reform
Maria's case just 'tip of the iceberg': European officials
European lawmakers have demanded that Maria be given access to legal representation, her family, and psychological support. They have also condemned similar abuses against underage girls from religious minorities in Pakistan, and European officials say Maria's story is just the tip of the iceberg of larger human rights violations. The resolution cited United Nations data from 2025, which revealed that around 75% of women and girls forced into these conversions are Hindu.
Reporting system
European lawmakers demand Pakistan strengthen its judicial framework
The European Parliament has demanded that Pakistan set up a "national mechanism," a nationwide tracking system for families to report abductions without being turned away by local police. They stressed that perpetrators of such crimes must be prosecuted instead of being let off by local magistrates. The resolution emphasized that abducted girls should be able to return safely and called for strengthening Pakistan's judicial framework.
Advocacy efforts
Maria's case part of a documented pattern: HRFP
Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), an advocacy group, has been campaigning for Maria's case for months. They have pointed out that her situation is not an isolated incident but part of a documented pattern where local courts accept falsified statements from abductors. These statements often claim that girls converted of their own free will.