Full Breakdown
EU Parliament Condemns Forced Conversions and Child Marriages of Minority Girls in Pakistan
7/10/2026, 9:41:15 PM
EU Parliament Resolution on Forced Conversions and Child Marriages
On 9 July 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution denouncing the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage of girls from religious minorities in Pakistan. The text cites the case of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz, a Christian girl who was taken from her home in Lahore, converted to Islam and “forcibly married to her abductor in March 2026.” The resolution urges Pakistan to fully implement its national framework to end child marriage, create a nationwide mechanism for reporting complaints, ensure transparent investigations, and prosecute perpetrators. A vote on an urgency resolution is scheduled for 15 July 2026.
Background & Context
Maria Shahbaz’s marriage was upheld by Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court in March 2026 despite school and birth records confirming she was a minor. Her family alleges she was abducted on 29 July 2025 and forced to sign a statement of voluntary conversion. The court’s decision sparked protests from Pakistan’s Christian community and prompted international human-rights advocates to warn that the ruling could embolden similar abuses. Human-rights groups have documented a pattern in which minority girls—sometimes as young as 10—are abducted, pressured to convert to Islam, and married to Muslim men, with courts frequently disregarding age documentation.
Data & Statistics
- United Nations data for 2025 show that ? 75 % of women and girls forced into conversion-through-marriage were Hindu, while ? 25 % were Christian.
- Nearly 80 % of reported cases occurred in Sindh Province.
- Victims are most commonly aged 14-18, though younger girls have been reported.
- The Open Doors 2026 World Watch List ranks Pakistan eighth among the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, citing systemic discrimination and gender-based abuses.
Official Statements & Responses
- Joseph Janssen, advocacy officer for Jubilee Campaign Netherlands, emphasized that the EU conference is being co-hosted by MEPs Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR) and Matej Tonin (EPP) and will be followed by an urgency resolution vote.
- Janssen described the Shahbaz case and similar incidents as “an important test of Pakistan’s willingness to enforce both its domestic child-protection laws and its international human-rights obligations.”
- An expert panel appointed by the U.N. Human-Rights Council expressed “deep concern that law-enforcement authorities often dismiss complaints lodged by victims’ families, fail to investigate or prosecute forced conversions in a timely manner, or neglect to properly assess the age of victims.”
- The European Parliament resolution calls for “transparent and independent investigations” and for “the perpetrators … to be prosecuted and Pakistan’s judicial framework strengthened, and abducted girls must be able to return safely.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the precise timing of the court’s decision: one account notes the Federal Constitutional Court upheld the marriage on 3 February 2026, while the resolution references the marriage being upheld in March 2026. No independent verification of the court’s reasoning or of subsequent legal appeals is provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The event will be jointly hosted by Members of the European Parliament Bert-Jan Ruissen of the ECR Group and Matej Tonin of the EPP Group,” — Joseph Janssen, Advocacy Officer, Jubilee Campaign Netherlands
- “The cases of Maria Shahbaz and other victims, including Amber Nadeem and Sataish Mariam, are an important test of Pakistan’s willingness to enforce both its domestic child protection laws and its international human rights obligations,” — Joseph Janssen
- “We are deeply concerned that law enforcement authorities often dismiss complaints lodged by victims’ families, fail to investigate or prosecute forced conversions in a timely manner, or neglect to properly assess the age of victims,” — UN expert panel, joint statement
- “The resolution highlights the case of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Pakistani Christian girl who was abducted, converted to Islam and forcibly married to her abductor in March 2026.” — European Parliament resolution
- “MEPs call for the protection of religious minorities and urge Pakistan’s government to ensure that all cases involving minors or allegations of coercion are subject to transparent and independent investigations. The perpetrators must be prosecuted and Pakistan’s judicial framework strengthened, they add and abducted girls must be able to return safely” — European Parliament resolution
What’s Next
The EU will vote on the urgency resolution on 15 July 2026, after which the European Parliament plans to monitor Pakistan’s implementation of a national mechanism for reporting and investigating forced conversions and child marriages. Advocacy groups have indicated they will continue legal support for Maria Shahbaz’s family and pursue further international pressure on Pakistan to amend its child-marriage laws.
