Quetta, Jan 27 (NationPress) Advocates for Christian rights and civil society organizations have strongly criticized the reported abuse of a 13-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan. They are calling on the government to safeguard vulnerable children from similar acts of violence and humiliation in the future.

According to local sources, the minor, known as Zarnaab, was employed as a domestic worker in a prominent family in Punjab province. Reports indicate that she was subjected to torture using household utensils, which drew widespread condemnation from advocates and civil society, as reported by Pakistan Christian Post.

Farzana Imran, a leader of LEAD Ministries—a non-profit evangelical organization—decried the harassment and inhumane treatment of underage girls from Christian families who are employed at minimal wages and mistreated. She emphasized that such actions highlight the entrenched discrimination and exploitation faced by Christian minorities, particularly young girls engaged in domestic labor.

Another prominent figure from LEAD Ministries, Pastor Imran Amanat, pointed out that the lack of educational opportunities is a significant factor driving Christian children into exploitative work situations. He stated, "This is why we constantly encourage our community to prioritize education for their children."

The founder of LEAD Ministries, Sardar Mushtaq Gill, highlighted that minority women and girls are disproportionately affected by issues such as illiteracy, poverty, and social marginalization.

Human rights activists contend that incidents like this emphasize the pressing need for stricter enforcement of child labor laws, accountability for abusive employers, and dedicated social protection for religious minorities. They caution that without systemic reforms, poverty and discrimination will keep Christian families trapped in cycles of exploitation and fear, as noted in a report by Pakistan Christian Post.

The case has reignited demands for authorities to investigate the alleged abuse, provide justice for the victim, and implement concrete measures to protect vulnerable children from similar acts of violence and humiliation in the future.

Earlier this month, a federal court in Pakistan mandated the police to locate and present a 13-year-old Christian girl who was reportedly kidnapped, converted, and forcibly married to a Muslim man, according to local media.

A two-judge panel at the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) instructed the police to bring Maria Shahbaz and 30-year-old Shehryar Ahmad to court. Supreme Court Attorney Rana Abdul Hameed stated that Ahmad allegedly abducted Maria on July 29 last year, forcibly converted her to Islam, and married her, as reported by Christian Daily International.

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Karim Khan Agha accepted a petition filed by Maria's father, Shahbaz Masih.

“After our petitions for the child’s recovery were dismissed by the sessions court in Lahore and the Lahore High Court, we opted to take those rulings to the FCC,” Christian Daily International-Morning Star News quoted Hameed.

"We informed the court that the girl is a minor and is being subjected to rape under the guise of Islamic conversion and marriage," Hameed added.

According to Hameed, the Lahore police colluded with the suspect, leading to the magistrate court dismissing the complaint from the girl's family. He mentioned, "The girl was coerced into making a statement claiming she willingly converted to Islam and married Ahmad."

"She also falsely claimed to be an adult, despite official documentation indicating that she is a minor and below the legal marriage age according to provincial child marriage laws, which prohibit marriages for girls under 16," Christian Daily International-Morning Star News quoted Hameed.

Shahbaz Masih, a driver and father of five, reported that his neighbor, Ahmad, abducted his daughter while she was on her way to a nearby shop. Masih filed a First Information Report (FIR) at Nawab Town Police Station in Lahore. However, police informed him that Maria had recorded a statement on July 31, 2025, before Model Town Judicial Magistrate Hassan Sarfaraz Cheema, stating she willingly converted to Islam and married Ahmad.

Rights advocates say that such cases exhibit a troubling pattern in Pakistan, where girls as young as 10 are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and raped under the guise of Islamic marriages. Victims are often coerced into making false statements favoring their abductors, while judges frequently disregard documentary evidence of age, returning children to their kidnappers as legal spouses, as highlighted in the report by Christian Daily International.