The Case of Maria Shehbaz: Legal Controversy and Grave Human Rights Concerns
On 29 June 2025, a 12-year-old Christian girl, Maria Shehbaz, went missing from Lahore. Her father, Shehbaz Masih, reported her disappearance and, despite resistance and obstacles to filing, registered a First Information Police Report for abduction.
When the girl was traced and located, the police stated that she had converted to Islam and married. The girl also gave a statement claiming that she had married of her own free will. These statements conflicted with the family’s account, which was that a 30-year-old Muslim man named Sheharyar had abducted Maria and subsequently married her.
Maria’s case was initially tried in the local courts, where no proper hearing took place. As a result, the matter was taken to the Lahore High Court, where the decision did not favor her family. The case was then moved to the Federal Constitutional Court in Islamabad. On March 25, 2026, the Federal Constitutional Court upheld the decision of the Lahore High Court and ruled in favor of Sheheryar. The court’s recent verdict has caused deep sorrow and anger within the Christian community.
Maria’s father maintained that Christianity does not permit marriage outside the faith. However, the court did not consider this argument and instead noted that, under Islamic law, Muslim men are permitted to marry non-Muslims from the “Ehl e Kitaab,” which includes Jews and Christians.
Maria’s father further argued that under Pakistani law, marriage under the age of 18 is illegal. To support his claim, he presented Maria’s birth certificate as well as documentation issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). Brushing aside these official records, and ignoring the option of seeking objective evidence such as a medical evaluation, the judges instead relied on subjective observation of the girl’s physical appearance to conclude that she was older than the father claimed.
The judges acknowledged that abducting the girl was wrong and could warrant legal action. However, they stated that since the marriage had already taken place, it could not be declared invalid or dissolved. Consequently, the girl was ordered to remain in marriage with Sheharyaar.
This decision of the Federal Constitutional Court has been widely criticized as a serious violation of human rights. Pakistani Christians have held protests in various cities in Pakistan and around the world, expressing deep sorrow and anger over the verdict. Many Muslims have joined their voices condemning the decision as unjust.
The Federal Constitutional Court was established in November 2025 for the purpose of upholding the supremacy of the Constitution and securing the fundamental rights of every citizen. In this case, however, it was merely an arbitrator of Sharia Law.
This is not an isolated case, and sets a dangerous precedent. Similar incidents have occurred in the past in which Christian, Hindu, and Sikh girls have been forcibly converted and married at a very young age. The conduct of Pakistani institutions in such cases has often been viewed as unjust. There is an urgent need for the Government of Pakistan to seriously address and resolve these issues.
On May 29, 2025, the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, signed a bill, “Assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 (private member’s bill), passed by the Parliament, Constitutional Article 6.
The Archbishop of Lahore Diocese, Khalid Rehmat, strongly and urgently protested the denial of this bill by the Federal Constitutional Court. He demanded immediate reconstruction of the court decision, ensuring that the justice is served.
The deputy speaker, provincial assembly Sindh, Anthony Naveed, has written to the Law & Justice Division of the government of Pakistan urging them to review the decision, and enforce child protection laws.
All Party Parliamentary Group for the Pakistani Minorities, a parliamentarian’s group in the UK, has written a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, requesting judicial intervention.
CAPC President Nadeem Bhatti says: “In this matter, I wonder why the Federal Court overrode the bill signed by the President of Pakistan. The Federal Constitutional Court Islamabad orders will legalize the abduction, rape, forced conversion and forced marriages of underaged minority Christian girls. Christian and Muslim teachings are two separate doctrines, and are not even close. Islam is not compatible with Christian doctrine. We are working with various Christian establishments to halt the Federal Constitutional Court orders. I have appealed to the higher authorities to have mercy on underage girls. Credible non-governmental establishments report that annually, 1,000 minority girls go missing from the Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Kalash communities. We have successfully fought cases in the courts, recovered the girls, and punished the culprits.
I have written letters appealing to the Pakistani Authorities to review and halt the order of the Federal Shariah Court, which leads men from the majority community to exploit, misuse and assault minor girls from minority communities. We will continue working with human rights activists, church leaders, and lawmakers for safeguarding and protecting child rights.
Social media in Pakistan is filled with outcries and demands for the recovery of Maria Shahbaz.
