Lahore High Court orders reopening of case involving 13-year-old Christian girl abducted, forced to convert, and married to a 30-year-old man

The Lahore High Court has ordered police to reopen the investigation into the kidnapping and forced conversion of Maria Shahbaz, a 13-year-old Christian girl. The court's decision follows a petition from Shahbaz's family alleging that police withheld evidence showing her age was falsified on forged marriage and conversion documents.

Shahbaz was abducted from her family in July 2025 by 30-year-old Shehryar Ahmad, who forced her to convert to Islam and marry him. Although her parents sought her return to their home through the Federal Constitutional Court in February 2026, the court instead left her in the custody of her abductor.

The High Court's order follows a July 2026 decision by the Federal Constitutional Court to review the case. Previously, a district court had accepted a report to close the investigation in March.