“We Demand Safety for Our Daughters”: Catholic Church Leader Raises Alarm Over Pakistan Court Ruling
Washington— The head of Pakistan’s Catholic Church, Bishop Samson Shukardin, has raised serious concerns over a government review committee formed to examine a recent constitutional court ruling that upheld the marriage and alleged forced conversion of a Christian minor girl.
Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced on April 5 that a committee had been constituted to review the March 25 judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court, which validated the marriage of a 13-year-old Christian girl, identified as Maria Shahbaz, to a 30-year-old man.
Shukardin, who serves as President of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (PCBC), expressed skepticism about the review process, warning that such inquiries often fail to produce meaningful outcomes.
“These issues often subside by the time such committees make their reports public. The process is deliberately delayed so that people forget,” Shukardin was quoted as saying by Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). “This is fundamentally a religious freedom issue. Consent is often coerced from minors. We await a genuine response from the government.”
He also noted that while some Muslim clerics privately support the Church’s concerns, many have refrained from public protest.
The case, according to reports cited by EWTN, stems from allegations made by Maria’s father, Shehbaz Masih, who claims his daughter was abducted in July 2025 while visiting a local shop in Lahore, forcibly converted to Islam, and married against her will.
The family reportedly submitted documentation from Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) indicating that Maria was 13 at the time of the marriage—below the legal minimum age of 18.
Despite the petition filed by the father seeking custody, the court upheld the marriage under “Muhammadan law” and granted legal guardianship to the husband, according to the report.
Rights organizations have long warned about the vulnerability of minority girls in Pakistan to abduction, forced conversion, and underage marriage. A Lahore-based group, the Centre for Social Justice, documented more than 515 such cases between 2021 and 2025.
According to its data, Hindu girls accounted for 69 per cent of cases, while Christian girls made up 31 per cent. The majority of victims were reportedly under 18, with incidents concentrated in the provinces of Sindh and Punjab.
“The Church is not in favour of marriages involving conversion under such circumstances,” Shukardin said. “We demand safety for our daughters and will continue to raise our voice for underage brides of any religion.”
The case has reignited debate over legal protections for religious minorities and minors in Pakistan, with human rights advocates calling for stronger enforcement of existing laws against forced marriage and conversion. (Source: IANS)
