Rights advocates say that without stronger enforcement of existing laws, clearer legal definitions of consent, and independent oversight mechanisms, vulnerable children will continue to face the risk of abduction followed by contested documentation and prolonged legal disputes that often end without accountability or recovery.
THE disappearance of a 14-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan has renewed national and international concern over allegations of forced religious conversions and coerced marriages involving minors from religious minority communities, with rights advocates warning of a recurring pattern of abduction and weak legal protection.
Nisha Bibi, a domestic worker from Gulbahar Colony, went missing on May 12. Her family alleges she was abducted by a married Muslim man who later forced her to convert to Islam and entered into marriage with her.
Her father, Abbas Masih, a daily wage labourer, said the family was shocked when police presented documents claiming that his daughter had converted months earlier and had married of her own free will.
“We were shocked to see an alleged conversion certificate and marriage documents presented as proof,” Masih said, adding that the documents were fabricated to protect the accused and block prosecution.
