Christian Family in Pakistan Lives in Hiding After Daughter’s Abduction and Forced Marriage Case

FAISALABAD, Pakistan — A Christian family in eastern Pakistan is living in constant fear, moving from place to place every few days, despite a favorable court ruling that freed their 19-year-old daughter from what they say was a forced marriage following her abduction.

The case, centered in Jaranwala, a district of Faisalabad in Punjab Province, underscores persistent concerns among human rights advocates about the vulnerability of religious minority women in Pakistan, where reports of abduction, forced conversion and coerced marriage continue to surface.

According to accounts from International Christian Concern and UCA News, the young woman, Adan Sabir, was abducted on the night of July 3, 2025, from her aunt’s home in Chak No. 126 GB. The alleged perpetrator, Usman Ali, had previously proposed marriage but was rejected by her family.

Relatives say Mr. Ali, reportedly armed, took Ms. Sabir and later produced what they describe as falsified documents claiming she had converted to Islam and married him.

During an initial court hearing in Faisalabad in August 2025, Ms. Sabir remained silent. Her family maintains that she was acting under duress, fearing for her life and the safety of her relatives. The court allowed Mr. Ali to retain custody of her.

Refusing to accept the ruling, the family appealed to the Lahore High Court the following month. Presenting evidence of threats and alleged document forgery, they secured a reversal. The court ordered Ms. Sabir returned to her family, and in November 2025, formally recognized her separation, effectively annulling the marriage.

But the legal victory has not brought security.

After Ms. Sabir became engaged to a Christian man, her family says Mr. Ali resumed threats. On April 20, 2026, he allegedly fired gunshots at their home in Jaranwala. Since then, the family has gone into hiding, relocating frequently to avoid further attacks.

Her mother, Afasn Sabir, described the lingering trauma. “She barely speaks during the day,” she said in an interview with UCA News. “At night, she wakes up trembling and asks us to pray.”

The family also reports receiving threatening messages online, including one warning that the abduction could happen again.

Efforts to seek protection, including filing a complaint over cyber harassment, have so far yielded little response from local authorities, the family said.

Human rights groups say the case is emblematic of a broader pattern. Organizations such as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Center for Social Justice estimate that hundreds of cases involving the abduction and forced marriage of minority girls — particularly Christians and Hindus — are reported each year, most commonly in Punjab and Sindh Provinces.

United Nations experts have repeatedly expressed concern over what they describe as systemic failures to protect minority women and girls, pointing to weak law enforcement and legal ambiguities that can enable perpetrators to evade accountability.

Concerns have intensified following a March 2026 ruling by Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court in the case of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl. The decision, widely criticized by rights groups, was seen as potentially setting a troubling precedent regarding child marriage and consent under contested circumstances.

Advocacy groups are urging the Pakistani government to strengthen legal safeguards, improve enforcement mechanisms and ensure protection for victims and their families.

For now, the Sabir family remains in hiding, hoping that legal recognition of their daughter’s freedom will eventually be matched by real safety. []