Christian Family Seeks Justice After Daughter’s Abduction and Forced Conversion in Sindh
Sohail Yousaf | 01-02-2025
Lahore, February 1, 2025 – In yet another harrowing case of forced conversion and child marriage, 13-year-old Christian girl Saba Shafique was abducted from Lahore Cantt and taken to Nawabshah, Sindh, where she was forcibly converted to Islam and married to a 35-year-old already married Muslim man.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by Shafique Masih, Saba’s father, on January 5, 2025, at 7 AM, Saba left home to buy milk but never returned. The family later received an “Islam acceptance certificate” and a marriage certificate, falsely declaring Saba’s age as 18 or 19 years old.
The accused, identified as Ali, a 35-year-old man from Walton Model Colony No. 2, Lahore Cantt, was a well-known acquaintance of the family. Despite being already married, he allegedly lured and kidnapped the young girl before taking her to a different province, where he forcibly married her and falsified her age on legal documents.
To further complicate matters, the abductor filed a petition in the Hyderabad Sessions Court under Section 22-A, requesting legal protection for himself and his so-called marriage. This move is a common tactic used by perpetrators to gain legal cover and prevent the victim’s family from reclaiming their daughter.
Saba’s father, a retired army serviceman now working as a painter, and her mother, a housewife, are devastated by their daughter’s abduction. The family, which consists of four children, two sons, and two daughters, lives in their own home in Walton Model Colony, a historically mixed Muslim-Christian neighborhood. The area is home to several Christian churches, ministries, and human rights activists, including the Royal Gospel Church, Masihi Basharti Church, Salt of the Earth Church Ministries, Full Gospel Christian Church, and Paul Joseph Evangelistic Ministry.
Saba’s parents are deeply concerned about their daughter’s well-being and desperately want her to return home as soon as possible.
Azhar S. Malik, Chairman of The Edge Foundation, has expressed grave concern over the increasing cases of abduction of underage Christian girls in Pakistan. He strongly condemned the kidnapping of Saba Shafique, emphasizing that forced conversions and coerced marriages are becoming a severe crisis for the Christian community.
“I am deeply concerned that young Christian girls are being systematically targeted, abducted, and taken away—often to different provinces—where their families have no access to them. In Saba’s case, she was taken from Lahore and transported to Nawabshah, Sindh. This pattern is deeply alarming and requires urgent attention,” Malik stated.
He stressed that different institutions must play their role in addressing these crimes. While government authorities must strictly enforce existing laws and hold perpetrators accountable, Christian churches and community leaders also bear responsibility.
“Churches have extensive outreach programs and direct access to Christian families. They must take proactive steps to educate their communities about these dangers and teach young girls and their parents how to protect themselves from such threats,” Malik emphasized.
Malik further highlighted that the Christian community has repeatedly urged the government to take decisive action against the rising incidents of abduction, forced conversions, and coerced marriages. He also emphasized the importance of enforcing existing laws to stop this ongoing problem and ensure justice for victims.
