On the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage of Maria Shahbaz and the protection of girls in Pakistan
B-10-2026-0348
on behalf of the Renew Group · Rapporteur: Bernard Guetta, Karin Karlsbro, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Martin Hojsík, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Malik Azmani, Ľubica Karvašová, Lucia Yar, Svenja Hahn, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Dan Barna, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Benoit Cassart, Engin Eroglu, Petras Auštrevičius, Hilde Vautmans
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This resolution condemns the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage of Maria Shahbaz and calls for an urgent, independent and child-sensitive judicial review of her case.¶ It urges Pakistan to investigate and prosecute such crimes, ensure courts do not validate marriages or conversions involving minors, and fully implement the National Framework to End Child Marriage.¶¶¶ It also calls for targeted protection for minority girls and for the EU to raise these issues in its dialogues with Pakistan.¶¶
Key points
- Condemns the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage in the case of Maria Shahbaz and calls for an urgent, independent and child sensitive judicial review.¶
- Calls on Pakistan authorities to ensure Maria Shahbaz's safety, access to her family, independent legal representation and protection from coercion or intimidation pending judicial review.¶
- Urges Pakistan authorities to investigate and prosecute cases of abduction, forced conversion, child marriage, trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors, including cases involving minorities.¶
- Calls on Pakistani authorities to ensure courts do not validate marriages or conversions involving minors or persons deprived of free and informed consent.¶
- Welcomes recent legislative steps against child marriage in some provinces and urges Pakistan to fully implement the National Framework to End Child Marriage.¶
- Calls for targeted protection measures for minority girls facing discrimination based on gender, religion, caste and poverty, with attention to education and social protection.¶
- Condemns enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, harassment of journalists and human rights defenders, and misuse of anti-terrorism, blasphemy and cybercrime provisions to silence dissent.¶
- Calls on the EU, the EEAS and Member States to raise the case of Maria Shahbaz and broader patterns in EU-Pakistan human rights dialogue, Strategic Dialogue and GSP+ monitoring.¶
- Stresses that closer EU-Pakistan relations should be accompanied by progress on human rights, rule of law, women's and children's rights and protection of minorities.¶
Who is affected
- Pakistan authorities, including courts and law enforcement, are called on to act on cases of abduction, forced conversion and child marriage.¶¶¶
- Minority girls in Pakistan, especially from Christian, Hindu and other religious minorities, are the focus of protection measures.¶
- The EU, the EEAS and Member States are asked to raise these issues in dialogues with Pakistan.¶