Lahore High Court Restores Case Regarding Abduction of Christian Teenager

The Lahore High Court in Pakistan has ordered the restoration of a police case involving the alleged abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of a Christian teenager named Maria Shahbaz. Justice Abher Gul Khan admitted a petition from the girl’s family, which challenges a previous decision by a magistrate to cancel the First Information Report (FIR) without the family's knowledge or legal representation.

Safdar Choudhry, chairman of the Raah-e-Nijaat Ministry, stated that the police had previously ignored evidence suggesting that the marriage documents were forged. A union council official had testified in a sessions court that the marriage certificate was never registered, yet this information was reportedly withheld from the magistrate. The family is pursuing this legal avenue following a February ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court that had previously validated the marriage and granted custody to the accused, Shehryar Ahmad. The restoration of the FIR allows the family to continue their legal challenge regarding the authenticity of the marriage and conversion documents.