Islamabad: On April 27, 2026, a 14-year-old Christian girl, Rida, was allegedly abducted from her neighborhood in Lahore. This came not long after the unlawful and unethical ruling of the Federal Constitution Court regarding the Maria Shahbaz Case, and it has raised some serious questions as to whether the state is doing something to protect vulnerable groups, especially girls of minorities, which remains, as of yet, the biggest target of perpetrators. 

All of this began on a Monday Afternoon when Rida went out of her home to buy food for her younger siblings. Her parents, Danish Barkat and Sobia Munir, were away at their jobs. Rida was allegedly abducted by a young man identified as Muhammad Saqib, who traveled from Bahawalnagar. 

After her disappearance, Rida’s father filed a First Information Report (FIR No. 807/26) under section 365-B, which addresses the kidnapping and abduction of a woman to compel marriage, at the local police station.

Through the efforts of the police, Rida was traced about 200 kilometers away from her hometown. On the 30th of April, Muhammad Saqib presented Rida before a magistrate’s court, which is a tactic used by perpetrators, and it has been seen countless times. A statement was recorded in which Rida claimed that she had converted to Islam and willingly married Saqib.

However, the court recognized her status as a minor; rather than returning the child to the parents, the court instead ordered that she be sent to Dar-ul-Aman, which is a government-run shelter home, until further legal proceedings. 

This case shows a painful intersection of religious vulnerability and economic hardship. The people who are usually targeted are those who belong to a minority, along with facing economic hardship. Danish and Sobia work long hours to meet basic needs like rent and food, leaving them unable to afford education for their children. 

Rida’s mother, Sobia, shared a heartbreaking testimony of the guilt and pain she feels: “I go out to work only to feed my children, but in doing so, I feel helpless and blame the situation for forcing me to leave my children unattended. It is my misfortune that poverty has compelled me to step out.”

The emotional toll on the family is huge as they have, in a sense, lost their daughter. Sobia, the mother, has described her heart as “constantly restless”, while Rida’s younger siblings frequently ask for their sister’s return. 

The Humanitarian Action for Rights & Development Society (HARDS) has stepped in to provide legal assistance to the family. The organization is working to challenge the validity of

the conversion and marriage documents in the courts, which are often central to such cases that involve minors. 

Community representatives and advocacy groups warn that neither this incident is an isolated one nor is it one of its kind; rather, they have pointed out that these cases have a similar pattern.

From abduction to forced statement, every case seems to follow a clear pattern. Apart from this, they have also pointed out a growing sense of insecurity among the Christian families in Lahore and across the country, where young girls are pretty much the target of forced conversions and marriages. 

Napoleon Qayyum, a Senior Human Rights Activist and an Advocate of Minority Rights, said, “The court, fully knowing that the child was a minor, did not return the child to her. And the court did not possess any right to send a 14-year-old child to Dar-ul-Aman. They could not even send the girl to Child Protection because that would require the parents of the child to be deceased, but if the parents of the child are alive, which they are, the court should send her back to her parents, who are her legal guardians as well. The family has every right to summon the Magistrate to a higher court because, despite the parents of the child being alive, the Magistrate made an illogical and unlawful ruling.” He also said, “The Magistrate should have read the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026 that no one can marry if they are below the age of 18.

The magistrate should have issued arrest warrants against the one who was marrying her and also the one who read the Nikkah. The girl belonged to Lahore, and an FIR was already lodged, but the Magistrate did not even care to investigate this.” Further, Qayyum added, “Magistrates should check against everything, whether FIRs regarding the person have been lodged or not; they should ask the local police to investigate. I think that Judges also need training on basic cognitive thinking, human trafficking, and human rights.”

Adovocate Kashif Alexander, Chairman of the Christian Lawyers Association in Pakistan, said, “The Rida case concerns serious allegations of abduction, forced conversion, child marriage, and violation of minority rights. The principal legal issue is the determination of her age at the relevant time, as a minority directly affects legal capacity to consent to marriage or religious conversion. Under Pakistani law, documentary evidence such as NADRA record, B-Form, birth certificates, and school certificates are relevant for age determination. If Rida was below the legally prescribed age, any alleged marriage would be unlawful and would amount to a violation of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026, which prohibits child marriage and prescribes punishment for persons contracting, solemnizing, promoting, or facilitating such marriage. A child marriage cannot be validated merely through subsequent statements.” He also added, “Further, where a minor girl is recovered in an abduction/child marriage case, merely recording a statement under Section 164 Cr.P.C.before a Magistrate does not extinguish the duty of the State to ensure lawful custody and child protection. Sending a minor girl to Dar-ul-Aman or shelter custody without first conclusively determining age, welfare, parental rights, and voluntariness of statement may be legally questionable and contrary to child protection principles. A minor ordinarily remains under lawful guardianship unless a competent court orders otherwise in accordance with law and welfare standards. Any statement of consent made under fear, pressure, influence, or while under the control of the accused persons requires strict scrutiny and cannot automatically be treated as free consent. Likewise, any alleged religious conversion must be voluntary, informed, and free from coercion.” He further added, “The matter also engages constitutional safeguards under the Constitution of Pakistan, including security of person, dignity of man, equality before law, freedom of religion, and protection of minorities. If a minority is proved, appropriate remedies may include criminal proceedings under child marriage and penal laws, restoration of lawful custody, challenge to the purported marriage, protective arrangements through child welfare institutions, and constitutional relief before the High Court. The paramount consideration in law must remain the best interests.”

Sohail Habel, Director of Humanitarian Action for Rights and Development Society (HARDS), said, “We are standing with the family. HARDS will handle the case and look after the legal battle. We will make sure to rescue the girl and return her to her parents. Additionally, we will make sure that the abductor doesn’t just get arrested but gets punishment for not just abduction but forcefully changing a minor’s religion and marrying a minor. We will challenge the ruling of the Magistrate even if we have to go to the Supreme Court, as the ruling of the Magistrate was unlawful”. 

As the legal battle continues, Rida remains in a shelter home. Human Rights organizations like HARDS continue to urge the authorities to prioritize the girl’s age and the documents from the relevant union council, not just a statement given under pressure. This would ensure that justice is served and minorities are protected just as Quaid intended Pakistan to be.