EU decries forced religious conversion, child marriage in Pakistan

The European Union has condemned the incidents of kidnapping, forced religious conversion, and child marriage in Pakistan, demanding the protection of girls in the South Asian nation.

The EU Parliament highlighted the case of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz, a Pakistani Christian girl who was abducted, converted to Islam, and forcibly married to her abductor in March 2026.

In a roundly supported resolution, Members of Parliament called for the teenager to have access to legal representation, her family, and psychological support.

Decrying similar abuses against underage girls from religious minorities, MEPs noted that Maria’s plight underscores “broader human rights violations faced by minorities in Pakistan.”

They referenced the UN figures in 2025, which show that among women and girls affected by forced conversion through marriage, around 75% were Hindu and 25% were Christian.

The EU Parliament advised the leadership in Pakistan to fully implement the national framework to end child marriage, already the case in some provinces of the country.

The government was also encouraged to establish a national mechanism for handling complaints from families of abducted or forcibly converted girls from minorities.

MEPs insist on the safety of religious minorities, urging the Pakistani authorities to ensure that all cases involving minors or coercion get transparent and independent investigations.

“The perpetrators must be prosecuted and Pakistan’s judicial framework strengthened. Abducted girls must be able to return safely,” the resolution reads.