Pakistan: 13-year-old Christian girl abducted for forced marriage

Minor Girl Abducted for Forced Conversion and Marriage

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) has expressed grave concern over the abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage of 13-year-old Christian girl Sataish Maryam from Tehsil Chichawatni, District Sahiwal of Pakistan.

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First Information Report (FIR) registered on January 11, 2026, under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, Sataish Maryam was allegedly abducted on the night between January 10 and 11, 2026. Her father, Basharat Masih, a daily wage labourer, reported that local residents witnessed Ali Haider Gulzar, along with unidentified accomplices, forcibly taking the minor girl in a vehicle. Police acknowledged the complaint and initiated legal proceedings without satisfactory developments yet, Basharat Masih shared with HRFP team.

Family Alleges Police Inaction and Threats

The incident occurred while Sataish's mother, Shahnaz Bibi, was unable to move due to a fractured heel. According to the family, Sataish had stepped outside for household chores when she was forcibly taken. Despite repeated appeals to law enforcement authorities and claims that the girl had been located in Karachi, the family alleges that no meaningful recovery efforts were undertaken.

On January 22, 2026, a second FIR was registered after several individuals allegedly entered the family's home, issued threats, and intimidated them for pursuing the abduction case. Charges were reportedly filed under Sections 452, 506, 148, and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code relating to house trespass, criminal intimidation, and unlawful assembly.

Controversial Court Ruling

The situation further escalated when the alleged abductor claimed that the minor girl had converted to Islam and entered into marriage. The victim's family argued that Sataish's statements were recorded and the court proceedings before the Additional Sessions Judge, Chichawatni, Noor Muhammad Dothar, on January 28, 2026, which ruled in favor of the alleged abductor, were conducted without the knowledge, law and without allowing the parents to meet their daughter.

Speaking at the HRFP office on February 3, 2026, Sataish's parents reiterated their appeal for justice. Sataish's mother Shahnaz Bibi shared that she was alone at home, became unable to protect her daughter due to her medical condition and expressed fear for the family's safety amid ongoing threats. The parents' states that Sataish is a minor and therefore legally incapable of consenting to marriage or religious conversion.

HRFP Demands Justice and Protection

Naveed Walter president Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) has raised serious concerns regarding the protection of minor minority girls from forced conversion and child marriage, the alleged intimidation and threats faced by the victim's family, the conduct of legal proceedings without full transparency and representation and the safety and welfare of the minor involved.

"Human Rights Focus Pakistan stands in solidarity with Sataish Maryam and her family," HRFP President Naveed Walter ensured the parents of Sataish Maryam while their visits to HRFP office. "We call upon the relevant authorities to ensure an impartial review, safeguard the rights of the minor, and guarantee protection for the family from harassment and threats."

HRFP urges federal and provincial authorities, child protection institutions, minority rights bodies, and international human rights organisations to take immediate notice of the case and ensure that Pakistan's constitutional protections and child protection laws are fully upheld. The organisation has committed to continuing legal, moral, and humanitarian support for the family while pursuing justice through lawful channels.

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights, minority rights, and access to justice across Pakistan. (ANI)