A 14-year-old Christian girl was reportedly abducted from her home in Chak 47/12-L village, Punjab Province, on the night of Jan. 10-11 and later forcibly converted to Islam and married a 26-year-old Muslim man, according to Morning Star News. Her father, Basharat Masih, said he immediately lodged a First Information Report (FIR). However, he claimed that police failed to recover her or register child marriage and statutory rape charges, despite documents confirming she is a minor.
Masih said neighbours saw the suspect take his daughter away in a car. Days later, authorities informed the family that she had converted and married in Karachi of her own accord. Christian attorney Hanif Hameed said the family presented the girl’s birth certificate to a magistrate. However, the court rejected it as sufficient proof of her age.
The case comes amid the enforcement of the Punjab Child Marriage Ordinance 2026, which raised the legal marriage age to 18 for all. The law classifies child marriage offences as cognizable and non-bailable, allowing police to act without prior court approval, and imposes up to seven years in prison and fines of 1 million Pakistani rupees on facilitators. Under the ordinance, Courts of Session must resolve cases within 90 days, and guardians or marriage registrars found in violation of the law may face imprisonment. The ordinance awaits Punjab Assembly approval, while Pakistan ranks eighth on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List for Christian persecution.