By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Put up Contributor
A civil court docket in Pakistan’s Punjab province has annulled the pressured marriage of a Christian lady who had been subjected to years of abuse and coercion, allowing her to reunite alongside with her family after enduring pressured conversion and marriage to her stepfather’s brother.
The court docket, in Bahawalpur metropolis, dominated in prefer of Shahida Bibi, declaring the marriage invalid and reversing her coerced conversion to Islam, in step with the lawful advocacy neighborhood ADF World, which supported her case alongside with allied attorneys.
Authorities issued new identification documents that restored her dwelling as a Christian. The lawful struggle represents a uncommon occasion of justice being served in instances sharp pressured conversion and marriage in Pakistan, the neighborhood talked about.
Bibi’s ordeal started on the age of 11 when her mother eloped with a Muslim man. The man handed Bibi over to his brother, who later entered into an Islamic marriage union, or Nikah, alongside with her after she grew to turn out to be 18.
This dawdle became reportedly made to avoid Pakistan’s anti-child marriage laws, which prohibits unions sharp minors. Sometime of this time, Bibi gave starting up to 2 kids whereas being trapped within the pressured marriage.
A 2014 watch by The Circulate for Cohesion and Peace Pakistan estimated that about 1,000 ladies and girls from Pakistan’s Hindu and Christian communities were abducted, forcibly married to their captors and forcibly transformed to Islam every One year.
Below Sharia laws, which permits marriage on the age of puberty, such unions are ceaselessly legitimized, leaving households powerless to intervene.
Global organizations, alongside with the United Countries Kids’s Fund, warn that child marriage remains an pressing bid worldwide, with over 100 million girls in possibility of being pressured into marriage within the next decade.
Minority girls, equivalent to Christians and Hindus in Pakistan, are namely inclined as a result of systemic discrimination, minute lawful protections and fret of retribution.
Tehmina Arora, director of advocacy for Asia at ADF World, called the victory a step in the direction of justice and freedom for young ladies facing an identical ordeals.
“The federal government has a possibility to fabricate a inequity, and to boot they ought to initiate by implementing a uniform age for marriage to pause these pressured kidnappings and marriages from going down within the principle place,” talked about Arora.
“Every body below world laws has the correct to freely pick and live out their faith with out fret of violence,” she added. “Every insist, alongside with Pakistan, must fabricate definite that their criminal guidelines and insurance policies are based mostly totally on their commitments to give protection to non secular freedom below world laws, and that the criminal guidelines they manufacture contain in place to give protection to ladies from these violations are enforced.”
In January 2025, European Union officials issued a proper warning to Pakistan, citing ongoing human rights violations, alongside with blasphemy criminal guidelines and the persecution of non secular minorities. The EU cautioned that failure to tackle these disorders could well jeopardize Pakistan’s exchange relations with Europe.
Equally, in 2024, U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan decision urging the U.S. government to retain violators of non secular freedom responsible. The choice namely called consideration to the jam of girls like Bibi, underlining the need for diplomatic and lawful measures to combat pressured conversions and marriages globally.
Authentic Biblical Holy Land Crown of Thorns
Original Olive Oil Soap Bar from Nablus
25Mar 
25Mar 
25Mar 
25Mar 
25Mar 
25Mar 
by