Pakistani court rules marriage of abducted 13-year-old Christian girl legal
Statue of Themis against the background of Pakistan's flag. Photo: ORF
On March 25, 2026, Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court recognized as valid the forced marriage of 13-year-old Christian girl Maria Shahbaz to a 30-year-old Muslim man and ordered the girl to return to her abductor. This was reported by the Christian rights organization Open Doors.
Maria Shahbaz was abducted in July 2025, when she was 12 years old. After the abduction, she was forcibly converted to Islam and married off to a man three times her age. The girl’s father filed a petition demanding his daughter’s return, and the court proceedings dragged on for several months. The legal age for marriage in Pakistan’s Punjab province, where the events took place, is 18 for both sexes.
The court ruling sparked a wave of protests across the country. Human rights organizations accused the court of ignoring key evidence proving the illegality of the marriage.
An Open Doors representative called on Pakistani authorities to “take immediate measures to protect all minors regardless of religion,” warning that such a precedent could influence lower-court rulings and endanger other girls.
As the UOJ reported, the EU had called on Pakistan to abolish its blasphemy law and forced marriages.
Read also
Upper Lavra court hearing postponed
The next court hearing in the Upper Lavra case has been scheduled for November 3.
UOC priest blesses ambulances at Kamianske medical center
A UOC priest in Kamianske blessed ambulances for a medical facility and wished its doctors God's help in their work.
Dumenko to German ambassador: Law targeting UOC also applies to other groups
Epifaniy Dumenko sought to defend Ukraine’s law restricting religious organizations during a meeting with the German ambassador.
Activists bused to court hearings in UOC cases, media say
A minibus has been spotted transporting protesters to and from courthouses where UOC cases are being heard.
Firefighters save historic UOC church from fire in Zakarpattia
A fire broke out at a UOC church in the Tiachiv district, damaging the altar and church furnishings.
Volyn Eparchy faithful collect six tons of aid for Sviatohirsk Lavra
Believers in Volyn collected food and warm clothing for people displaced by the war who have found shelter at Sviatohirsk Lavra.