Punjab Lawmaker Seeks Legal Reforms to Protect Minority Girls From Forced Marriage in Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan — A Christian member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly has called for legal reforms to address what he described as systemic failures in protecting minority girls from abduction and forced marriage, a problem long documented by human rights organizations in Pakistan.

Ejaz Alam Augustine, a former provincial minister for human rights and minority affairs, introduced a motion on April 21 urging the government to explain why courts have repeatedly dismissed official age records in such cases. He pointed specifically to documents issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan’s primary civil registry, which he said are often disregarded in judicial proceedings.

“The rejection of official records creates dangerous loopholes that enable the exploitation of underage girls from vulnerable communities,” Mr. Augustine told lawmakers during the session.

His remarks follow a controversial ruling by Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court on Feb. 3, which upheld the marriage of Maria Shahbaz, a Christian girl reported by her family to be 13, to a 30-year-old Muslim man. In its detailed judgment issued on March 25, the court questioned the reliability of NADRA records and suggested that the girl appeared “more mature” during court proceedings.

The case has drawn widespread criticism from advocacy groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which have repeatedly warned of the persistence of forced conversions and child marriages among religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab and Sindh provinces.

Maria’s family maintains that she was abducted in July 2025, coerced into converting to Islam and married without consent — a pattern that rights groups say is alarmingly common.

In response, Mr. Augustine has proposed amendments to the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026, legislation intended to replace a colonial-era law dating back to 1929. His proposed changes would require the presentation of a national identity card during marriage registration and declare child marriages void from the outset.

“It is inconsistent to criminalize child marriage while still recognizing its legal validity,” he said, noting that some Muslim lawmakers have expressed support for the revisions.

Under the proposed law, child marriage would be treated as a serious criminal offense — non-bailable, cognizable without a warrant and not subject to out-of-court settlement. Offenders could face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to one million Pakistani rupees.

Still, activists caution that legislation alone may not be sufficient. According to data compiled by the Minority Forum Pakistan, hundreds of abduction and forced marriage cases involving minority girls were reported between 2025 and early 2026, with Hindu victims accounting for roughly 69 percent and Christian victims 31 percent.

Experts affiliated with the United Nations have pointed to a broader culture of impunity as a central obstacle. In reports by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, weak enforcement mechanisms and social pressures are cited as key factors preventing victims from obtaining justice.

The Shahbaz case is not isolated. At least six similar incidents have been reported in Punjab since the court’s ruling, and protests by Christian communities erupted in Karachi in late March.

Mr. Augustine said he hopes the proposed amendments will be passed before a gubernatorial ordinance expires in May, describing the effort as a critical step toward strengthening legal protections for minority children in Pakistan. []