Lahore High Court reinstates FIR in case of alleged abduction and forced marriage of Christian girl
The Lahore High Court ordered the restoration of a police case against a Muslim man accused of abducting, converting and marrying a Christian minor, reopening legal options for her family.
On Oct. 1, Lahore High Court Justice Abher Gul Khan granted a petition filed by the family of Maria Shahbaz, restoring the FIR that accuses a Muslim man of abducting, forcibly converting and marrying the Christian girl. The family contends that a magistrate had cancelled the FIR on March 7 without their lawyer or any hearing, and that the investigating officer withheld material findings. Subsequent police reinvestigation added fraud and forgery charges after a union council official confirmed the marriage document was never officially registered.
The revived case enables the family to pursue criminal proceedings and strengthens their petition to the Federal Constitutional Court, which previously upheld the marriage and placed Maria in the accused’s custody. Advocates for the family view the decision as a significant development that could lead to the suspect’s arrest. Additional review petitions from other rights groups are expected to be heard alongside the family’s case.
Why it matters
The ruling reopens legal avenues for a minor allegedly forced into marriage, highlighting concerns over child marriage and minority rights in Pakistan.
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