Faisalabad, March 8 — Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) observed International Women’s Day 2026 under the UN theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls” and urged authorities to enforce constitutional and statutory safeguards in cases involving minority girls, an HRFP press release said.
HRFP, which records and publishes cases of abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of minority girls, told attendees that its casework reveals an alarming, recurring pattern. The organization identified several contributing factors: religious discrimination against Hindu and Christian communities, poverty, limited access to legal help, police bias that favors alleged abductors, societal and political pressure on victims and families, and widespread lack of awareness about legal rights.
The group said its REAT Helpline fielded more than 1,200 calls in 2025. Most calls related to attacks on Christians and churches, false blasphemy allegations, abductions of minority girls, workplace discrimination, biased treatment and violence. At the Women’s Day event HRFP discussed recent and ongoing cases, including Sataish Maryam, Shamaya Saleem, Simran Amjad and the case of a minor Christian girl, Areeba Asif Masih, from Multan. The discussion highlighted delays in justice, family discouragement to pursue cases, and the obstacles victims face.
Pastor Paul and Areeba’s mother, Rukhsana Bibi, contacted HRFP last month seeking assistance. HRFP’s fact-finding visit to the Multan family documented reasons for the family’s initial silence and reluctance to pursue legal remedies, including lack of trust in police and the judiciary. According to the family, Areeba, an eighth-grade student, was abducted by Muhammad Shoaib on December 18, 2024, while traveling to school. An FIR was registered on December 19, 2024, but more than a year later the minor has not been recovered.
HRFP reviewed case documents and met local police and community stakeholders. Records reportedly show inconsistencies: although Areeba’s abduction is dated December 18, 2024, official paperwork records her conversion to Islam on December 11, 2024, and a marriage on December 13, 2024 — dates that predate the alleged abduction and before she was of legal age. The family says courts did not ensure proper legal safeguards during subsequent proceedings.
HRFP stressed these incidents violate constitutional guarantees and statutory protections. Naveed Walter, HRFP president, pointed to Article 9 (security of person), Article 20 (freedom to profess religion), Article 25 (equality of citizens) and Article 35 (protection of family, mother and child) as legal protections undermined by abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage.
Walter also cited relevant criminal and child-protection laws: Pakistan Penal Code Sections 361 and 363 (kidnapping or abduction of a minor), Section 365-B (kidnapping/abducting a woman to compel marriage), and Sections 375 and 376 (rape, noting that consent is legally invalid for minors). He questioned why minors’ consent is sometimes treated as valid in police statements, court records, marriages and conversions. HRFP referenced the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 (amended) — which prohibits marriage of girls under 16 in Punjab (Sindh sets the minimum at 18) — as well as the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act, 2004, and the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018, all of which provide protection and require state intervention.
In calling for action, HRFP and the victim’s family demanded: immediate recovery and safe custody of Areeba and other Hindu and Christian girls; annulment of marriages conducted while the girls were minors; independent and transparent investigations into abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage; accountability for officials found negligent or complicit; protection for victims’ families from harassment or intimidation; and strict implementation of child-protection laws.
HRFP reiterated that a minor cannot legally give valid consent to conversion or marriage and that any such acts carried out under coercion or involving a child are unlawful under Pakistani law. The organization said it remains committed to defending the constitutional rights of minorities, women and children and urged authorities to uphold the rule of law and ensure justice in the case of Areeba Asif Masih and all minority girls. (ANI)
