Islamabad, April 2 (NationPress) A wave of protests erupted across Pakistan as Christians, human rights advocates, and civil society members voiced their dissent against a federal court ruling endorsing the forced conversion of a Christian girl by a Muslim man, according to local media reports.

The demonstrations followed a decision from the Federal Constitutional Court that permitted a 30-year-old Muslim man to retain custody of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz. On March 29, a significant number of Christians gathered outside the Karachi Press Club, wielding placards and chanting slogans that called for enhanced protections for underage girls and more stringent laws against forced conversions and child marriages, as reported by Christian Daily International.

During the protests, speakers highlighted the alarming increase in cases of abduction, forced conversions, and marriages involving Christian girls, urging the Federal Constitutional Court to revisit its ruling. They called upon the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan to take immediate action.

Addressing the crowd, church leader and rights activist Ghazala Shafique stated, "We condemn the Federal Constitutional Court for undermining the existing child marriage laws by legitimizing the Islamic conversion and marriage of a minor Christian girl... How can minors, who are not legally able to obtain identity documents, be viewed as capable of making decisions regarding religion or marriage?"

Other speakers echoed the need to reassess controversial laws and judicial decisions affecting minority communities, emphasizing that neglecting these matters only exacerbates insecurity among these groups. Similar protests were organized by various entities, including the National Christian Party and Gawahi Mission Trust. Young girls carried placards demanding justice for Maria Shahbaz and the enforcement of laws prohibiting marriage under the age of 18. The protesters cautioned that vulnerable populations, particularly young girls, remain at grave risk without urgent legal reforms and judicial reviews.

Representatives from civil society, as well as political and human rights organizations, convened a press conference in Lahore to denounce the verdict in the Maria Shahbaz case, according to Christian Daily International. Samson Salamat, chairman of Rwadari Tehreek or Movement for Equality, described the ruling as "misleading" and a setback for efforts aimed at safeguarding minors from marriages that could inflict lasting physical, emotional, and educational damage.

Salamat emphasized that the Federal Constitutional Court's decision effectively endorses the forced marriage of the 13-year-old Christian girl to a Muslim man under the guise of sharia (Islamic law), in direct contradiction to the Child Marriage Restraint Act and its provincial variations, which stipulate a minimum marriage age of 18 for girls, as documented by Christian Daily International.

During the press conference, speakers stressed the implications of the court's ruling on minority girls in Pakistan, who are disproportionately affected by forced conversions and child marriages. Salamat highlighted that this decision could embolden perpetrators to exploit vulnerable girls, forcibly converting and marrying them, thereby erasing their identities and denying them access to education and protection.