In a significant legal victory over forced conversion/marriage in Pakistan, the civil court has nullified the marriage of a Christian woman given to a Muslim man as a child, converted to Islam and forced to marry him, sources said.
On February 12, Bahawalpur Citizen Judge Afzal Baig supported 25-year-old Shahida Bibi and declared her marriage to Shezad Ahtar Khan, reversing her forced conversion to Islam, her lawyer, Lazar Allah Rakha.
“The judge has directed the National Database and Registration Agency (NADRA) to create fresh identification cards for Bibi, restore their religious status as a Christian, and remove the marriage status status,” Rakha told Christian Daily International’s Appearance Star News. “It’s a rare case where justice has been provided on the issue of religious conversion.”
Her ordeal began in March 2012 at the age of 11 when her mother, Naseem Bibi, eloped to the Muslim Nadeem Akhtar Khan. Khan handed Shahida Bibi to Shhzad Akhtar Khan.
During this time, Shahidabibi gave birth to two children while being locked up in a forced marriage. One was born with physical disability and died four years later, Raka said.
Shehzad Akhtar Khan has created a conversion and marriage certificate to protect herself from the anti-child marriage laws that restrict marriage to girls under the age of 16.
Shahida Bibi’s marriage has been dissolved to all identification cards, and her ex-husband’s name has been replaced by her father, Robert Masi, the lawyer said.
Shahida Bibi never went to school and didn’t know that Khan had fraudulently registered her as a Muslim who married him in the national database, Rakha said.
“Shahida Bibi fled Shehzad’s prisoners in 2024, but if he didn’t move the court to nullify the marriage, the fear of being forced would have remained,” he said. “She can now start a new life.”
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International helped lawyers in seeking justice for young survivors.
“No one should suffer from the fear of abortion and forced marriage, and they are forced to give up their faith,” Tehmina Arora, director of Asia advocacy at ADF International, said at a press conference. “We are grateful that Shahida has received justice against her prisoners and that she can begin the healing process from this ordeal.”
In such cases, she added, it is an incredible violation of the basic human rights of young women, including religious freedom.
Under Sharia (Islamic law), which allows marriage at adolescent age, marriage age is lower than the official marriage age, which changes between 16 and 18 years in Pakistan’s provinces. When a girl is forced to convert, parents often cannot stop the violation from happening. These women and girls are often afraid of their lives and their families, preventing them from denouncement of prisoners, Alora pointed out.
“These forced conversions and marriage abuses occur all over the world, but they are particularly common in Pakistan,” she said. “The government has the opportunity to make a difference. They should start by implementing a uniform age for marriage so that these forced incentives and marriages don’t happen in the first place.”
She added that everyone under international law has the right to choose and live freely without fear of violence.
“All states, including Pakistan, must ensure that their laws and policies are in line with their commitment to protecting religious freedom under international law, and that laws are in place to protect girls from these violations,” Alora said.
The legitimate victory comes as human rights leaders around the world are paying attention to Pakistan’s terrible human rights abuses. In January, European Union officials issued warnings to Pakistan about human rights violations, including blasphemy laws, forced conversions and other targeted persecution of religious minorities.
If not addressed, Pakistan’s trade ties with the EU could be at risk.
The lawyers for ADF International and Allied are engaged in supporting women and girls struggling with forced marriages, the ADF pointed out, adding that Sharia courts can verify the marriage as many of Pakistani women and girls are forced to convert to Islam.
Pakistan ranked 8th on the 2025 World Watchlist, where it’s the hardest place to become a Christian.
