“Christian Girl, 12, Forcibly Converted/Married in Pakistan,” Morning Star News, August 28, 2024:

LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – A Muslim in Pakistan abducted and forcibly converted and married a 12-year-old Christian girl as police delayed efforts to recover her, family members said.

Parveen Shaukat, a Catholic widow and mother to eight children, said that Muhammad Asad abducted her youngest daughter, Fairy Shaukat, from the Habibabad Mandi area in Pattoki Tehsil, Kasur District of Punjab Province, on Aug. 9.

“Fairy had gone to a nearby shop to buy groceries in the afternoon, but she did not return home,” Shaukat told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “My sons started searching for her but could not find her. We then filed a complaint with the police, but their attitude was not welcoming. Instead of helping us, they delayed the registration of a First Information Report [FIR].”

She said that a neighbor later informed the family that he had seen Asad abduct Fairy.

“We informed the police about the accused, but they still did not take any action, giving sufficient time to Asad to convert the minor child and contract an Islamic marriage with her,” Shaukat said.

The impoverished mother said that police finally registered an FIR on Aug. 10 but were slow to make efforts to recover the child.

“On Aug. 13, my sons received the Nikahnama [Islamic marriage certificate] of Fairy through WhatsApp from an unknown number,” she said. “We were shocked to see the document and urged the police to take action against this underage marriage. When the police finally raided the house of the accused, he was not there. It’s nearly 20 days now that I haven’t seen my child, and we have no information about her safety.”

Shaukat said she did not believe her minor daughter could go willingly with the suspect.

“Fairy is just 12 years old. She had no access to a cell phone and rarely went out of the home by herself,” Shaukat said. “She was abducted by Asad, who we have heard is a loafer. He targeted my child for sexual exploitation, and my heart sinks every time I think of how she is being treated in captivity.”…