On the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage of Maria Shahbaz and the protection of minor girls in Pakistan
B-10-2026-0350
on behalf of the PPE Group · Rapporteur: Sebastiao Bugalho, Tomislav Sokol, Wouter Beke, Jan Farsky, Lukasz Kohut, Ondrej Kolar, Andrey Kovatchev, Ingeborg ter Laak, Miriam Lexmann, Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, Reinhold Lopatka, Eleonora Meleti, Danuse Nerudova, Miroslawa Nykiel, Ana Pedro, Nicolas Pascual de la Parte, Jessica Polfjärd, Davor Ivo Stier, Tomas Tobe, Matej Tonin, Inese Vaidere, Lorant Vincze, Michal Wawrykiewicz, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Marta Wislo, Tomas Zdechovsky, Zeljana Zovko, Lukas Mandl
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This resolution addresses the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage of Maria Shahbaz and the protection of minor girls in Pakistan. It calls on Pakistani authorities to protect religious minorities, ensure Maria's safety, return abducted girls, and establish a national investigation mechanism.¶¶¶ It also calls on the European Commission and the EEAS to raise these issues in bilateral dialogues with Pakistan, including under the GSP+ monitoring framework.¶
Key points
- Calls on Pakistani authorities to ensure effective protection of Christian communities and other religious minorities, especially girls at risk, through prevention, investigations, and access to justice.¶
- Calls on Pakistani authorities to ensure immediate protection of Maria Shahbaz and conduct a thorough, transparent, impartial review of her case, respecting due process and the child's best interests.¶
- Calls on the Pakistani government to ensure the immediate and safe return of abducted girls to their families and to prosecute those using forced conversion as a cover for abduction.¶
- Calls on Pakistan to establish a national mechanism to investigate complaints about abducted or forcibly converted minors from religious minority communities.¶
- Calls on the European Commission and the EEAS to systematically raise protection of religious minorities, forced conversions, and child marriages in all bilateral dialogues with Pakistan, including under GSP+ monitoring.¶
Who is affected
- Pakistani authorities and government: must protect religious minorities, ensure Maria's safety, return abducted girls, and establish an investigation mechanism.¶¶¶
- European Commission and EEAS: must raise these issues in bilateral dialogues with Pakistan.¶
- Christian communities and religious minorities in Pakistan, especially minor girls at risk of abduction and forced conversion.¶