The Lahore High Court’s recent directive to strictly enforce anti-child marriage laws has raised hope among Pakistan’s Christians of some protection against their underage girls being forced to convert to Islam and wed their kidnappers, sources said.
In a landmark interim order issued by Justice Anwar Ul Haq Pannun of the Multan Bench of the Lahore High Court on Feb. 28, the court ordered the government to implement the anti-child marriage laws in letter and spirit. The court was hearing a petition filed by a Muslim woman, Ramzana Bibi, seeking the custody of a niece who had fallen victim to child marriage.
RELATED: Check out more stories about the persecuted church here.
The court established a high-level committee headed by Prosecutor General of Punjab Syed Farhad Ali Shah to ensure effective implementation of child marriage restraint laws. It also ordered chairmen of union councils to promptly annul any underage marriages, with the court mandating strict legal actions against such unions.
Ongoing battle
Pannun’s order also instructed the assistant director of local government to conduct monthly reviews of union council records at the local tehsil level, emphasizing the critical role of local government in the complex challenge.
“This order marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle against underage marriages in Pakistan, especially those belonging to Christian and Hindu communities,” Christian attorney Sumera Shafique told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “It not only strengthens the legal framework but also signals a broader shift towards more vigilant and proactive measures in protecting the rights and well-being of young girls across the province.”
Shafique has won freedom for several Christian girls forcibly converted to Islam and married to those who kidnapped them.
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
Read full story here.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Morning Star News.
