Kidnapping of Minors in Pakistan
The Case of Nisha Bibi
Fourteen‑year‑old Nisha Bibi disappeared from her home in Gulbahar Colony on May 12. Her family says a married Muslim man took her, forced her to change her religion, and then married her. When the police showed documents claiming Nisha had converted months earlier and married willingly, her father, Abbas Masih, said the papers were fake and meant to shield the accused.
Why Age Matters
Officials listed Nisha as 18 on the marriage certificate, but her relatives insist she is only 14 and have school records to prove it. The disagreement over her age is a common tactic in these cases, making it harder to prove that a minor was forced.
A Wider Pattern
Nisha’s story is not isolated. Similar incidents have been reported across Pakistan:
- April 2025: Sixteen‑year‑old Christian girl Jia Liaqat vanished while her parents worked in the fields. Her family later received messages saying she had been taken abroad and married online.
- July 2025: Fifteen‑year‑old Hindu student Shahneela was allegedly seized at gunpoint and later appeared in videos saying she had converted to Islam.
- Early 2025: Four Hindu siblings disappeared from Shahdadpur, resurfaced in videos reciting Islamic prayers, and were given new names.
Human rights groups say these events follow a repeated script: kidnapping, detention, alleged coercion, and then the production of paperwork or video testimony to claim the conversion and marriage were voluntary.
Who Is Most at Risk?
Girls from poor, rural, or peri‑urban communities are especially vulnerable. Factors that increase their risk include:
- Limited access to education
- Weak local police response
- Inconsistent enforcement of child‑protection laws
- Poverty and social exclusion
Legal Gaps and Challenges
Pakistan’s child‑protection law defines anyone under 18 as a minor, yet some provincial marriage statutes still allow girls as young as 16 to wed. Advocates argue this creates a loophole that kidnappers exploit.
Courts have sometimes accepted claims of voluntary conversion and marriage, even when families present contradictory age information or allege duress. This makes it difficult to hold perpetrators accountable and weakens deterrence.
Calls for Action
International bodies, including UN experts, have repeatedly urged Pakistan to:
- Raise the minimum marriage age to 18 nationwide
- Criminalize any form of coercion in religious conversions
- Strengthen oversight mechanisms for child protection
- Fully implement the National Commission for Minorities Rights Act 2025
Activists stress that without clearer legal definitions of consent, independent monitoring, and swift enforcement, vulnerable girls will continue to face abduction, forced conversion, and forced marriage.
Conclusion
The kidnapping of minors for forced religious conversion and marriage remains a serious problem in Pakistan. Cases like Nisha Bibi’s highlight the need for stronger laws, better police response, and genuine protection for at‑risk children. Only through coordinated effort and firm legal safeguards can the cycle of abuse be broken and young girls be allowed to grow up safe and free.
