A UN conference in Geneva examined allegations of forced conversions, abductions and child marriage involving Christian and Hindu girls in Pakistan….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The alleged abduction, forced religious conversion and child marriage of Christian and Hindu girls in Pakistan were highlighted at a recent conference at the United Nations Office in Geneva, where human rights advocates called for stronger protection of religious minorities.
The event, titled ‘Human Rights in Pakistan (Addressing Forced Conversions and Child Marriage in Pakistan)’, was organised by human rights organisation Jubilee Campaign. The discussion examined reports of girls, particularly those from Christian and Hindu communities, being kidnapped, forcibly converted and married.
The conference was moderated by Hilda Farmington, communications associate at Jubilee Campaign. Panellists included Joseph Jansen of Jubilee Campaign, Professor Nicholas Levrat, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, and Christophe Foltzenlogel, advocacy officer at the European Centre for Law and Justice.
According to a report by Turkey-based journalist Uzay Bulut in PJ Media, Farmington said around 1,000 girls were forcibly converted or kidnapped each year, while warning that the actual figure could be higher.
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Parents of Amber Nadeem, Maria Shahbaz and Sataish Mariam spoke at the event about their daughters’ disappearances and the difficulties they encountered while filing complaints and seeking justice through Pakistan’s courts.
The families raised concerns over delays in police investigations and judicial proceedings, as well as the vulnerability of minors allegedly placed in the custody of their kidnappers. They called on the international community to intervene and help secure their daughters’ return.
Levrat described forced conversions and marriage as a serious issue affecting religious minorities. He expressed concern over the failure to implement legal provisions intended to address forced conversion and protect children.
He said Pakistan was responsible for fulfilling its own human rights obligations, with international support required where necessary, according to the PJ Media report.
Foltzenlogel, a legal expert specialising in international human rights law, said Pakistan already had several legal safeguards covering child protection, religious freedom and child marriage, but that existing laws were not being adequately implemented.
Jansen said his organisation had documented 210 cases between 2019 and 2025. He presented a report titled ‘Stolen Girls’, which identified Punjab and Sindh as the provinces accounting for the majority of documented cases.
According to Jansen, the victims in the documented cases were below the legal marriage age, while the alleged perpetrators were predominantly older. He also said police had initially refused to register complaints in some cases, arguing that weaknesses in police and judicial processes allowed violations to continue.
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The discussion comes amid continuing concerns raised by minority rights organisations over the safety of girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan.
Last month, Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) expressed concern over the alleged abduction, forced conversion and marriage of two minor Hindu sisters in Sindh province.
The organisation said the girls’ family alleged that Roopi, 13, and Seeta, 14, were abducted from Ibrahim Colony in Tando Allahyar district, forcibly converted to Islam and compelled to marry two Muslim men, Amjad Solangi and Mansoor Solangi.
Citing reports, VOPM said authorities presented the sisters before a court in Tando Allahyar in connection with an abduction case. The court subsequently sent them to a safe house rather than immediately returning them to their family.
The cases have renewed scrutiny of the protection available to religious minorities and children in Pakistan, particularly regarding allegations of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriage.
