A Christian family is seeking justice after their 16-year-old daughter was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and possibly married to a Muslim prayer leader, according to her father.
Faqeer Masih, a brick kiln worker from Handaal village in Kot Radha Kishan, Kasur District, Punjab Province, said his daughter Neha Bibi had been attending sewing classes for six months at a center run by the wives of 45-year-old prayer leader Sajid Ibrahim.
Neha went to the center on March 24 but did not return home, Masih said. When the family approached the center to inquire about her whereabouts, Ibrahim’s two wives, identified as Ruqaiya and Nargis, told them she had already left for home, he added.
“We continued to search for her, but when we couldn’t trace her, we went to the police,” Masih, member of a local evangelical church, told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “They did not pay attention to our pleas for help.”
Masih said officers delayed registering a First Information Report (FIR) and did not initially act on their complaint.
The family later learned that Ibrahim and his wives had also left their residence, raising suspicions about their involvement in the girl’s disappearance.
Police registered an FIR on April 2, naming Ibrahim and his wives as suspects, but Masih said authorities made no immediate effort to locate them. He added that the investigating officer later informed the family that Neha had appeared before a court in Lahore and stated that she had converted to Islam of her own free will.
“We were devastated to hear this. It is obvious that she may have been converted for the purpose of marriage,” Masih said.
He said delays in police action may have allowed time for the conversion and court statement to be arranged and that the suspects may have influenced the police. The investigating officer, Assistant Sub-Inspector Muhammad Asif, was not immediately available for comment.
Ejaz Alam Augustine, a Christian member of the Punjab Assembly, said he visited the family after learning of the case and raised the matter with police authorities.
“I contacted the investigating officer and later senior district police officials, urging them to ensure the recovery of the girl,” Augustine said, adding that officials had assured him efforts were underway to trace the suspects and locate Neha.
The case has drawn concern within Pakistan’s Christian community, particularly amid recent legal developments involving underage minority girls.
Augustine linked the incident to a controversial Feb. 3 ruling by Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court in the case of 13-year-old Christian girl Maria Shahbaz, whose marriage to a Muslim man was upheld despite allegations of abduction and forced conversion. Rights advocates criticized the ruling, arguing that questions of age and consent were not adequately examined.
Advocacy groups say such cases reflect broader patterns affecting minority communities, particularly Christian and Hindu girls from economically vulnerable backgrounds.
Augustine said the case could also test police’s response under a recently promulgated provincial ordinance that raises the minimum legal age of marriage to 18 for both genders and classifies child marriage as a non-bailable offense punishable by up to seven years in prison.
The Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, signed into law on Feb. 11 by Punjab Governor Saleem Haider Khan under Article 128(1) of the Constitution, replaces provisions of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, which had set the legal marriage age at 18 for men and 16 for women. The new law removes this distinction, establishing 18 as the minimum age for both sexes.
Under the revised framework, anyone who contracts, facilitates or promotes a child marriage faces up to seven years’ imprisonment and fines of up to 1 million Pakistani rupees (about $3,500). Offenses are classified as cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, allowing police to register cases without prior court approval while limiting the possibility of bail or private settlements.
The ordinance also imposes penalties on marriage registrars, or nikah khawans, who are prohibited from registering marriages involving individuals under 18. Violations can result in up to one year in prison and a fine of 100,000 rupees (approximately $357).
Adults who marry minors face rigorous imprisonment ranging from two to three years, along with fines of up to 500,000 rupees (about $1,787). The law further classifies cohabitation resulting from a child marriage as “child abuse,” punishable by five to seven years in prison and a minimum fine of 1 million rupees, regardless of purported consent by the minor.
The renewed attention comes as lawmakers in Punjab consider legislative measures aimed at addressing forced religious conversions.
On March 31, provincial lawmaker Falbous Christopher introduced a bill in the Punjab Assembly seeking to criminalize forced conversions, proposing penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment for those found guilty of coercing individuals to change their religion. The draft legislation distinguishes between voluntary and forced conversions and includes safeguards addressing coercion, threats and undue influence.
Efforts to enact such laws in Pakistan have historically faced resistance. In 2021, a federal bill aimed at preventing forced conversions was withdrawn following opposition from religious parties and advisory bodies, including the Council of Islamic Ideology, which raised concerns about provisions such as minimum age requirements and judicial oversight.
Supporters argue that stronger legal protections are necessary to safeguard vulnerable minority groups, while critics warn of potential misuse and infringement on religious freedoms.
International advocacy organizations continue to highlight the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan. In its 2026 World Watch List, Open Doors ranked Pakistan eighth among the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, citing ongoing concerns about discrimination, violence and forced conversions.
