In a rare development, last month Pakistan’s High Court ordered the government to issue new identification cards reflecting the conversion of women from Islam to Christianity, her lawyer said.
A woman whose name is withheld for security reasons, 15 years ago abandoned Islam and married a Christian man.
Lawyer Lazaru Allah Raka said that for years he repeatedly attempted to obtain a faith designation in the records of her national identity, but officials at the National Database Registration Agency (NADRA) rebelliously refused. She converted to Christianity in January 2009 and married Christian four months later.
“The couple have five children and have settled in the district of South Punjab since their marriage,” he said.
After an unsuccessful effort to obtain new identification, the woman sought help from Christian Solidarity International, an advocacy organization that involved Rakha, a Christian lawyer known for covering sensitive cases related to Pakistan’s religious freedom. He filed a petition to the Lahore High Court that she converted to her free will Christianity and married a Christian at a ceremony that the pastor presided over.
“The couple has five children, and Nadra issued a B-format of the child, but on the surface, they did not include the mother’s identification number in the document for their marriage to Christian.” “When the petitioner went again in October 2024 to amend his identity document in NADRA records, officials there threatened her with the disastrous consequences of her child’s Christian baptism certificate, marriage certificate and birth certificate, instead abandoning her Islamic faith.”
Rakha said on July 1, a bench of single members, including Justice Shahid Karim, had treated Nadra the woman’s case as “wrong entries” and ordered her to issue a new ID as Christianity and her faith.
“The denial of issuing IDs to adult Nadra women in their new faith is a clear violation of Article 20 of the Pakistan Constitution, ensuring that all citizens have the right to profess, practice and spread their religion,” he said. “It also violates Articles 4 and 9 of the Constitution, which ensures the protection of laws and the safety of life for all citizens.”
The lawyer said the couple was excited to eventually obtain a new identification for the woman.
“They have faced several challenges over the years because of this problem, including obtaining a child’s birth registration certificate and enrolling in school,” he said. “Now they are relieved that the long-standing struggle is finally over.”
He made it clear that Pakistan does not have any particular laws that explicitly criminalize apostasy.
“However, apostasy could lead to prosecution under Pakistan’s Bloody Asp Act, particularly Section 295-A, which stipulates up to 10 years of imprisonment for hurting religious sentiment in any community,” Rakha said. “In addition, social stigma and potential violence from vigilante groups are a real threat to those who have chosen to convert to other faiths. This is why they prefer to avoid converting to most Christians and remain secret followers for the rest of their lives.”
Muslims cannot change the religious designation in NADRA’s computerized National Identification Card (CNIC) to other religions, but according to the CNIC registration policy, people converting from other faiths to Islam can modify the CNIC. However, the policy states that it is wrong to correctly state the religion of the applicant, as illiteracy could be “treated in the office disability category.”
Pakistan ranked 8th on the 2025 World Watchlist, where it’s the hardest place to become a Christian.
