Bahawalpur, Punjab – Pakistani Court Voids Christian Woman’s Forced Marriage and Conversion
In a rare victory for religious minorities in Pakistan, a civil court in Bahawalpur has overturned the forced conversion and marriage of Shahida Bibi, a Christian woman who was coerced into becoming Muslim and marrying a Muslim man as a child.
On February 12, Civil Judge Afzal Baig ruled in Shahida’s favor, declaring her marriage to Shehzad Akhtar Khan null and void, and restoring her Christian identity. Her lawyer, Lazar Allah Rakha, called the decision a rare instance of justice in cases involving religious conversion.
The court also instructed NADRA (the National Database and Registration Authority) to issue Shahida a new ID card, reflecting her correct religion and removing her marital status. “This judgment offers hope for many victims of forced conversions,” said Rakha.
Shahida’s ordeal began in 2012, when she was just 11. Her mother had eloped with a Muslim man, who then handed Shahida over to his brother, Shehzad Khan. Shahida was sexually abused, and once she turned 18, forced into a marriage (Nikah). She had two children during this time; one, born with disabilities, died at age four.
To bypass Pakistan’s child marriage laws—which prohibit girls under 16 from marrying—Shehzad Khan allegedly faked both conversion and marriage documents. A bill pending in the Punjab Assembly since April 2024 seeks to raise the legal marriage age to 18 for both genders, closing current loopholes.
Shahida, who never received formal education, didn’t even know she had been officially registered as Muslim. Her legal team successfully argued that both the conversion and marriage were forced. The court ordered her records updated to remove Shehzad’s name and restore her biological father’s, Robert Masih.
After managing to escape in 2024, Shahida lived in constant fear of being dragged back. But with the court’s ruling, she’s finally free. “She can now start over,” said Rakha, calling it a step forward in the fight against forced conversions and child marriages.
📰 Source:
Christian Daily – Court in Pakistan Annuls Christian Woman’s Forced Marriage, Conversion