A Christian family in Pakistan is seeking justice after their 14-year-old daughter was allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married to an older Muslim man in Punjab Province.
The girl, Nisha Bibi, disappeared on 12 May while working as a domestic helper in Lahore’s Gulbahar Colony. Her father, Abbas Masih, a daily wage labourer and member of a local Brethren church, said she failed to return home after leaving for work.
The family reported her missing to police after searching the area. Officers later reviewed CCTV footage from the employer’s residence, which reportedly showed the girl leaving with an unidentified middle-aged man. An abduction case was then registered.
Masih said the family circulated images taken from the footage among local residents in an effort to identify the suspect. A neighbour reportedly recognised the man as 41-year-old Arshad Habib, who was said to have multiple marriages and children from previous relationships. It was also claimed that he disappeared the same day along with two children from another wife.
Masih added that his daughter suffers from epilepsy and mental health difficulties, which he believes increased her vulnerability.
Shortly after the disappearance, police presented documents claiming that Nisha had converted to Islam on 15 February and married Habib three days later. The family strongly rejected the documents, saying they were fabricated to protect the suspect from prosecution.
Masih also said the case has placed the family under emotional strain, adding that fear of social stigma has limited what they can share even with extended relatives.
The family’s lawyer, Lahore High Court advocate Zunara Patrick, said efforts are ongoing to locate the girl and bring the accused before the courts. She stated that Habib was traced to Khanpur in Rahim Yar Khan District, where he was allegedly staying with Nisha and two children taken from another household.
Patrick alleged that the suspect had been involved in multiple simultaneous marriages without the knowledge of all his wives, one of whom has since divorced him, while others are now cooperating with investigators.
She further claimed that false legal statements were submitted, including one asserting that Nisha was 18, had converted voluntarily, and had married of her own free will. Patrick rejected the authenticity of these claims and accused the suspect of misusing religious conversion and marriage to evade accountability.
Legal proceedings include a habeas corpus petition seeking recovery of children linked to the case, while Habib has been named as the primary suspect in the abduction investigation. The legal team says it intends to pursue charges including child marriage, abduction, and the alleged rape of a minor.
The case has also renewed wider concerns among rights observers about how Pakistan’s legal system handles allegations involving forced conversion and marriage of minority girls. The Federal Constitutional Court has recently questioned the reliability of national identity records issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in determining age in such cases.
Judges have previously noted that such documents may not always be reliable and could be subject to manipulation. Earlier court rulings in similar cases involving underage Christian girls have also drawn controversy, with decisions upholding marriages despite allegations of abduction and coercion.
Observers say these recurring disputes highlight ongoing challenges in ensuring legal protection for vulnerable minors and religious minorities in Pakistan.
Adapted and rewritten from reporting originally published by Christian Daily International and Morning Star News.
