In Islamabad, Christians, human rights advocates, and members of civil society in Pakistan held protests against a federal court ruling that upheld the forced conversion of a Christian girl by a Muslim man, local media reported.
The protests followed a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court, which allowed a 30-year-old Muslim man to retain custody of a 13-year-old girl named Maria Shahbaz. On March 29, a large group of Christians gathered outside the Karachi Press Club, carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding protection for underage girls and stricter legislation against forced conversions and child marriages, according to Christian Daily International.
During the protests, speakers warned of the increasing number of cases involving the abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of Christian girls, and urged the Federal Constitutional Court to reconsider its ruling. They also called on the Pakistani Prime Minister and President to take immediate action.
Addressing the protesters, church leader and human rights activist Ghazala Shafique said, "We condemn the Federal Constitutional Court for disregarding existing laws against child marriage in the country by validating the forced Islamic conversion and marriage of a minor Christian girl... How can minors, who cannot legally obtain identity documents, be considered capable of making decisions about religion or marriage?"
Other speakers called for a review of all controversial laws and decisions that affect minority communities, emphasizing that failure to address these issues increases insecurity among minorities. Similarly, protests were also organized by other groups, including the National Christian Party and Gawahi Mission Trust. The girls, holding placards, demanded justice in the Maria Shahbaz case and the implementation of laws prohibiting marriages under 18 years of age. The protesters warned that vulnerable groups, especially young girls, remained at serious risk if urgent legal reforms and judicial review were not conducted.
Representatives of civil society, political, and human rights groups also held a press conference in Lahore to condemn the ruling in the Maria Shahbaz case, according to Christian Daily International. Rwadari Tehreek chairman Samson Salamat termed the ruling "misleading" and a setback for efforts to protect minors from marriages that can cause lasting physical, emotional, and educational harm.
Salamat emphasized that the Federal Constitutional Court's decision effectively validates the forced marriage of the 13-year-old Christian girl to a Muslim man, citing Sharia (Islamic law), despite the Child Marriage Restraint Act and its provincial variations, including the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, Balochistan Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, and Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, which set the minimum age of marriage for girls at 18, according to Christian Daily International.
During the press conference, the speakers highlighted the impact of the court's verdict on minority girls in Pakistan, who are disproportionately affected by forced conversions and child marriages. Salamat emphasized that the court's decision could encourage perpetrators to exploit vulnerable girls, forcibly converting them and getting married to them, erasing their identities and denying them access to education and protection.
