Rawalpindi, Pakistan: Pakistan’s Christian minority continues to face serious risks, as recent reports highlight cases of abduction, forced conversion, and coerced marriage of young Christian women and girls. 

Monica Jennifer, a 21-year-old Christian from Rawalpindi, disappeared from her home on November 17. She recently appeared in court, stating that she had converted to Islam and married her Muslim neighbor, Waleed Ahmad. Her family, however, insists that she was abducted and forced into conversion. 

Raza Arif, Monica’s brother, told Christian activists, “There is no way Monica would abandon her faith and family willingly. Her court statement was made under pressure. We just want our sister to be protected so she can return home without fear.” 

Police reportedly delayed registering the family’s complaint for nearly a week, which Sardar Mushtaq Gill of LEAD Ministries says reflects systemic discrimination against Pakistan’s Christian minority. The family has also received blasphemy threats for pursuing the case. Monica’s father has tearfully appealed for help, describing his daughter’s abduction, forced conversion, and marriage to a Muslim man. 

Pastor Imran Amanat, leader of LEAD Ministries, called on the public to pray for the safety of Christian girls, stating, “They are not safe, even though the law prohibits underage marriages and court marriages without parental consent. Yet some extremists exploit Islamic Sharia to justify these actions.” 

Sardar Mushtaq Gill emphasized the peaceful nature of Pakistan’s Christian minority, saying, “Christians are a peaceful community and pose no threat to the majority in any country. Yet extremists continue to target them, creating problems even in nations where Christians are the majority.” 

LEAD Ministries continues to document persecution, including violence, discrimination, and blasphemy accusations, and urges international authorities and human rights bodies to protect vulnerable Christian communities and ensure that young women and girls can live free from coercion and fear.