Protest held over ‘forced conversion’ of Christian girl
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HYDERABAD: Activists of religious minorities’ rights on Saturday staged a protest demonstration outside the Hyderabad Press Club against the alleged forced conversion of a Christian girl, Maria Shahbaz, in Lahore.
Organised by the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), the protest was led by Fr Jamil Albert, Director of NCJP Hyderabad. Advocate Ramesh Gupta and others also spoke.
The protesters said that most of the laws were drafted keeping in view the requirements of the “majority”. They said that religious minorities have their own issues, cultural norms and requirements.
They said that religious minorities’ sensitivities should be taken into account, but it was being observed that forced conversions of Hindu and Christian girls were being reported.
Advocate Gupta condemned such a tendency and said that laws should be framed after taking religious minorities on board; otherwise, these issues would remain unaddressed.
Fr Albert said that Maria Shahbaz had been converted and her conversion was accepted on the basis of her statement before a judicial officer under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
He said when Maria was converted, her age was 12 years, nine months and 20 days precisely.
He added that this must stop now. He said that the current conditions demanded unity among people, especially in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Fr Albert said that such decisions, like the one in Maria’s case, would set a dangerous precedent for girls.
He said that the Federal Constitutional Court overlooked key government documents, including the National Database and Registration Authority’s birth certificate of Maria, in order to uphold the validity of her marriage while relying on a marriage certificate.
He said that the possibility of forced conversion in such cases could not be ignored and must be thoroughly investigated.
Fr Albert urged the federal government, judiciary and authorities to ensure strict implementation of child marriage laws.
He said that protection mechanisms for minority women and children should be strengthened.
He said that the NCJP was firm in its commitment to continue advocating for human rights, particularly the rights, dignity and protection of minority communities across Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2026
