Concerns Rise Over Abduction of Christian Teen in Pakistan
A troubling case in Pakistan has drawn attention to the plight of minority communities. A 14-year-old Christian girl was reportedly kidnapped by a group of five Muslims, sparking fears of forced conversion and marriage.
The girl’s father, Sharif Masih from Sialkot’s Korpur area in Punjab Province, expressed deep concern about the fate of his daughter, Saneha Sharif. He suspects the abductors aim to convert her to Islam and marry her to one of the perpetrators.
According to Masih, “Saneha was lured out of the house (on Jan. 9) by a Muslim girl whose family had recently moved to our neighborhood.” A witness, Rehan Razaque, reportedly saw her being forced into a van by the suspects, which included two women, one being the mother of the Muslim girl who enticed Saneha out.
Masih, who works as a sweeper at a wedding marquee and is a member of the Brethren Church, identified Muhammad Dildar as one of the suspects. Dildar had allegedly been making unwelcome advances toward Saneha. Despite filing a police report, only two of the accused, Samina Usman and Shabbir Ahmed, have been arrested. However, no significant progress has been made in locating Saneha.
Masih criticized the police for their inaction, stating, “Despite repeated pleas to the police, they are not making any effort to recover Saneha or arrest the other accused.” He attributes this neglect to his family’s poverty and Christian faith.
Saneha’s mother has been severely affected by her disappearance, requiring medical attention due to the stress. The family has appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the inspector general of police for intervention, urging authorities to take decisive action against such crimes targeting vulnerable minorities.
The case has stirred human rights advocates, who call for the urgent passage of a pending bill in the Punjab Assembly that proposes raising the legal marriage age to 18 for both boys and girls. Christian attorney Lazar Allah Rakha emphasized, “The provincial government should pass the new anti-child marriage bill at the earliest to protect minor girls, especially those from the Christian and Hindu minority communities, from forced conversions in guise of marriages.”
Currently, the legal marriage age for girls is 16, but the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024 set it at 18 for Christians. Yet, if a Christian girl converts to Islam, she falls under Sharia law, which permits earlier marriages.
Abductions of young girls, often forced into conversion and marriage, remain a grave issue in Pakistan. The U.N.’s Human Rights Committee, in its review of Pakistan’s human rights practices, expressed concern over the impunity surrounding these cases and urged stronger legal measures and enforcement to combat forced conversions and marriages.
Pakistan is ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of places where being a Christian is most challenging. The international community continues to monitor such cases closely, advocating for the rights and protection of minority groups.
Originally reported by Christian Daily International and Morning Star News
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
