'Forced conversion': LHC hands teenage Christian girl back in parents' custody

E-Paper | October 02, 2026

'Forced conversion': LHC hands teenage Christian girl back in parents' custody

Rana Bilal Published April 10, 2019

The girl stated before the court that she had been abducted, forcibly converted, sold and forcibly married to a Muslim man. — AP/File

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The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered that a teenage Christian girl — who was allegedly kidnapped, forcibly converted and married off to a Muslim man in Faisalabad — be handed back to her parents.

Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh issued the order while hearing an application filed by Javed Masih of Faisalabad against the illegal confinement of his 14-year-old daughter. Speaking outside the court, the girl said she had reached her parents' home after managing to flee the house she was being kept in after 'marriage'.

Masih, who was represented in the court by Advocate Chaudhry Abdul Rasheed, contended in his petition that some members of the Christian community had abducted his teenage daughter and later "sold her off" to a Muslim man named Zafar.

He said after forcibly converting the girl to Islam, Zafar 'married' the underage girl.

A conversion certificate obtained by DawnNewsTV stated that the girl had been renamed as Ayesha after 'willingly' converting to Islam on February 20, 2019.

The girl, however, when produced before the court today by Faisalabad police said that she had been abducted, sold, forcibly converted, and then forcibly married to a Muslim man.

She told the court that she wanted to live with her parents.

After hearing all parties, the court ordered that the teenage girl be given in the custody of her parents.

Violence against Christians

Pakistan

Rana Bilal is a Lahore-based reporter for Dawn News (TV) with over nine years of experience covering legal affairs, justice-sector developments, and environmental issues. He can be found on X at @ranabilaldawn.

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Truth

Apr 10, 2019 04:01pm

Dear PM please start lecturing on moral.

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Citizen

Apr 10, 2019 04:01pm

What about the criminals who almost destroyed the life of a young girl, when are they going to be hanged in public... The standards have to be set without delay so no next should follow.

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Manu USA

Apr 10, 2019 04:07pm

That's is reality. Will the court give punishment to her so called husband. What happened to Hindu girls case.

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MAGAMAN

Apr 10, 2019 04:12pm

A sad situation in the Land of Pure

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Ilyas

Apr 10, 2019 04:13pm

Sounds like a very good decision for this poor girl. Hopefully, there is also an action against all people who victimized the teenager?

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Jehengir khan

Apr 10, 2019 04:13pm

My heart shivers even to think what the girl must be going through at this moment. Returning back to parents is just a small part of the justice..why justice is not served against the culprit who abducted, forcefully converted and married an underage girl? This is a failure of justice system....SHAME....

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singhiskingh

Apr 10, 2019 04:29pm

This the truth of minorities ......

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Dr Shafiq A Chughtai

Apr 10, 2019 04:50pm

Shameful

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Vaif

Apr 10, 2019 04:55pm

What happened to those hindu minor girls.

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Deep

Apr 10, 2019 05:19pm

Who is culprit behind these incidents. Its sick mentality of belief swab milega . Change yr attitude .

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Omair

Apr 10, 2019 05:23pm

We need to address this before talking about the plight of minorities elsewhere.

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IRSHAD NOOR

Apr 10, 2019 05:33pm

But this is minimum justice. What about those who abducted her ?

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Apr 10, 2019 05:41pm

And what happened all criminals involved in this saga???

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Bikram Singh

Apr 10, 2019 05:46pm

Shame to the champions.

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Himanshu sharma

Apr 10, 2019 05:50pm

Take care of minorities

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RationalBabu

Apr 10, 2019 06:20pm

@Omair, well said!

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RationalBabu

Apr 10, 2019 06:21pm

@Vaif, what always happens!

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Amin

Apr 10, 2019 06:38pm

what about the people committed the crime. There will be lot of challenges for this girl now in the life. she has to face lot of criticism the way our society behaves.

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Yes Right

Apr 10, 2019 06:47pm

And what about the criminal who abducted her-sold her and the criminal who bought her ? The kidnappers surely did not do this for the first time. This must be criminal gang

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Ahmed

Apr 10, 2019 07:00pm

Any punishment for culprits ?

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Ratnajit Chakraborty

Apr 10, 2019 07:11pm

Seems to be favourite pastime of majority community in Pakistani .

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Kamal khan

Apr 10, 2019 07:13pm

Don't speak right of minorities in India.. First introspect your self

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Leoman

Apr 10, 2019 08:28pm

No government in Pakistan has ever paid any attention to the miserable life conditions and cruel treatment towards minorities. The law must come into action to punish strictly for forcible conversion and marriages of minor.

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rich

Apr 10, 2019 09:52pm

will imran khan give compensation to this poor family to resettle?

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hnmirza

Apr 10, 2019 09:54pm

Hopefully doesn't stop here. Need to punish the abductors, sellers, buyers and converters.

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Indian009

Apr 10, 2019 10:18pm

Why no rape charges and arrest and punishment.

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Bob

Apr 10, 2019 10:27pm

And what happened to the two Hindu minor girls who were abducted, converted and married to muslims few weeks back?

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Sooraj Kollamparambil Saju

Apr 10, 2019 11:04pm

Waiting for the lecture on moral corruption

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Apr 10, 2019 11:28pm

Very sad!! So many lives destroyed in forced conversions.

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Raja

Apr 10, 2019 11:58pm

Time for PM Khan to start Twittering again

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Maboob Saleem

Apr 11, 2019 12:08am

@Truth, .... Kidnap gangs do not have morals.

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Vijay B.

Apr 11, 2019 12:57am

Kidnapping for forced conversion and forced marriage (really constitutes rape) is HEVANIAT.

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Uzair

Apr 11, 2019 01:35am

Now those who abducted and sold and the one who bought a human and forced conversion and rape should be prosecuted asap.

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Augustine Gill

Apr 11, 2019 02:34am

Who is in charge of minority affairs, human rights and women's affairs? There has to strict and swift punishment for this.

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Vijay .B

Apr 11, 2019 03:34am

Why was the marriage not annulled and the "husband " not charged with human trafficking, forcing a minor to convert, marrying an under age girl, and rape?

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Syed Zafar Kazmi U.S.A

Apr 11, 2019 04:15am

Well, what happened to all those who abducted, sold and even bought. All these parties are directly involved in a heinous crime & therefore should have been arrested, prosecuted & given severe punishments in accordance with the law. Just, handing over the victim to her parents is good but not enough.

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Fawad

Apr 11, 2019 04:52am

And what about punishment?!

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Mumtaz Ahmed Shah

Apr 11, 2019 04:57am

A shameful act of abductors of forcefully converted and married an underage girl must be severly punished.(Texas)

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BILAL

Apr 11, 2019 05:29am

It is good to handover the girl to her parents. She is underage and the case has turned to be a abduction and rape case . It is also a case of forcibly conversion of a girls so where is the punishment

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Farouq Omaro

Apr 11, 2019 06:05am

Good decision by judge. Government has to do something to put a stop to this. Any underage girl known to be taken by others should be immediately returned by police to the parents and not wait for court order.

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Asif Ali

Apr 11, 2019 07:28am

It is not enough, jail culprits with rape charges.

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DK PAMNANI

Apr 11, 2019 11:12am

Hope Hindu Sindhi Girls will be back to their homes early.

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Taimur

Apr 11, 2019 11:23am

What a shame. Where is Ms Sheein Mazari who keep on lecturing other countries on human rights

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Maq

Apr 11, 2019 11:36am

Shameful and vile act. Hope the High court also take action against the criminals responsible and that they are dealt with as per the law and an example made of them. At the same time the child and her family be afforded protection. We have to stand up for the rights of children, minorities and the citizens of the country.

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Anand

Apr 11, 2019 04:54pm

@Omair, Very sane from you, sadly would go unnoticed

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fairplay

Apr 11, 2019 07:22pm

@Manu USA, the Hindu girls were adults who chose to convert. the court has ruled and that case is closed.

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fairplay

Apr 11, 2019 07:33pm

@Bob, adults who chose to convert, court ruled.

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fairplay

Apr 11, 2019 07:36pm

@Maq, agree.

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