FAISALABAD, Pakistan: After a harrowing six-month ordeal, a 11-year-old Christian girl from Faisalabad who was kidnapped, raped, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to an older man has been recovered and reunited with her family.
On the night of February 12, 2024, Laiba was abducted by four men who climbed the boundary wall of her house while her parents were sleeping. They threatened to kill her if she made any noise. This gang has been involved in several other incidents of abduction and forced conversions of minor Christian girls in Faisalabad.
The following morning, Laiba’s parents hurried to the Roshan Wala police station to report their daughter’s disappearance. The case was registered against Irfan and Khurram, the main perpetrators.
After six months of tremendous efforts and legal battles by numerous minority rights activists, including Lala Robin Daniel, Madam Robina Bashir, Shabana Pervaiz Bhatti, Shaheen Anthony, Madam Tahira Anjam, and Shazia George, a former member of The Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), and repeated complaints to the authorities, the Central Police Officer (CPO) of Faisalabad, Kamran Adil, finally took action and played a crucial role in rescuing Laiba from the miserable treatment in captivity of her abductors.
The main perpetrator of Laiba’s abduction Irfan is now behind bars and facing several criminal charges. This development marks a significant step towards justice for Laiba and her family.
Laiba’s desperately worried father, Masih, expressed his gratitude for the help he received from human rights activist, Voice for Justice and Christian politician Lala Robin, who organized legal aid for the family.
Minority rights activists Ashik Naz, Nadia Stephen, and Joseph Jansen have expressed their concerns over the absence of robust measures to protect underage girls and young women belonging to religious minorities from abduction, forced marriage, coerced conversion, and sexual violence in Pakistan.
They urged Pakistani authorities to enact legislation criminalizing forced religious conversions and to hold abductors accountable.
Additionally, they called for rigorous enforcement of existing legal protections against forced and child marriages, abduction, and the trafficking of minority girls. They emphasized the need to adhere to international human rights obligations by combating violence against women and girls, tackling human trafficking, and upholding the rights of women and children.
Earlier in April, a Pakistani high court judge, referencing Islamic “sharia” law, ruled that men in Pakistan may marry underage girls once they have had their first menstrual cycle. Voice for Justice has denounced this ruling as a deeply discouraging development.
The decision came amidst the ongoing trial they are supporting, which concerns the kidnapping, forced conversion, and marriage of Roshani Shakeel, a 13-year-old Christian girl.
Human rights activist Lala Robin Daniel stated that Laiba’s abduction and forced marriage are part of a disturbing trend affecting Christian and Hindu communities in Pakistan. “Young girls are kidnapped, converted, and married to their abductors, who are often much older and sometimes already married with children. These are serious violations of human rights and child marriage.”
Christians in Pakistan increasingly feel unsafe, as they are not receiving justice from either the courts or law enforcement agencies. Jansen urged the Pakistani government to address this serious matter, stop the ongoing violence against Christian and Hindu underage girls and women, and enact laws to criminalize forced faith conversions.
After Laiba’s recovery, her parents expressed relief from the trauma and fear that their daughter could have been sold to sex traffickers. They remain hopeful for justice and the end of such atrocities against young girls in Pakistan.
