We demand safety for our daughters: Head of Catholic Church in Pakistan

Washington: Pakistan’s head of the Catholic Church, Bishop Samson Shukardin, has expressed concern over a government committee formed to review a recent ruling by the country’s top constitutional court that validated the marriage and forced conversion of a Christian minor girl.

Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar on April 5 announced that a committee had been formed to review the March 25 judgement of the Federal Constitutional Court validating the marriage of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz to 30-year-old Shaheryar Ahmad.

Voicing doubt over the move, Shukardin, President of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (PCBC), was quoted as saying by American media outlet Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN): “These issues often subside by the time such committees make their reports public. The process is deliberately delayed so that people forget. This is fundamentally a religious freedom issue. Consent is often coerced from minors. We await a genuine response from the government. Many Muslim clerics support us but have avoided joining public protests.”

Citing allegations made by Maria’s father, Shehbaz Masih, the report said that Maria was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married against her will.

It added that the family submitted a certificate issued by Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) showing that Maria was 13 at the time of the marriage — below the legal minimum age of 18.

The incident occurred in July 2025, when Masih, a resident of Lahore, reported that his daughter was abducted by a Muslim man while she went out to a nearby shop.

The court rejected a petition filed by the father seeking custody, upholding the marriage under “Muhammadan law” and granting legal guardianship to the husband.

According to the report, for decades, rights groups have called for “stronger legal and administrative measures” to protect girls from minority communities across Pakistan against abduction and forced religious

The report cited the Lahore-based Centre for Social Justice documenting over 515 cases of abduction and forced conversion of minority girls and women in the country between 2021 and 2025.

“Hindu girls accounted for 69 per cent (353 cases), followed by Christian girls at 31 per cent (160 cases). Most victims were under 18, with cases concentrated in Sindh and Punjab,” it added.

Shukardin said courts in the Muslim-majority country often failed to enforce laws prohibiting marriage under 18 years of age.

“The Church is not in favour of marriages involving conversion under such circumstances. We demand safety for our daughters and will continue to raise our voice for underage brides of any religion,” the ETW quoted him as saying.

IANS