A thirteen-year-old Christian girl was forcibly converted and taken to become the second wife of a Muslim man.
The underage marriage flagrantly violates the Marriage Act, yet the court unlawfully recognizes the marriage and the conversion.
The culprits menacingly threaten the helpless parents, warning that they will take their other daughters if the parents pursue the return of their vulnerable daughter.
On Thursday, April 4th, Sania Ameen, a thirteen-year-old Christian girl, was discovered missing from her home while her sisters were occupied with household duties and her parents were away visiting a family relative in a nearby town. What began as an exhaustive search by the family tragically unfolded into the painful revelation of their underage daughter’s abduction, forced conversion, and marriage to a Muslim man who is already married.
Atia Ameen (17 yrs), the eldest sister of Sania, recounted to BACA that she was engrossed in cooking while her other sisters, namely Hina (16 yrs) and Arooj (14 yrs), were occupied with washing clothes. Around 12:30 pm, she called out to Sania to assist her in the kitchen, but received no response.
“Initially, I thought she had gone out to buy some snacks from a shop in the next street,” Atia shared, reflecting her initial thoughts on her sister’s absence.
Terrified by the mounting concern for their missing sister, Atia took the lead in searching, visiting neighbors and canvassing the village, but to no avail. Eventually, Atia informed her parents, Ameen Masih (48 yrs) and Nargis Bibi (42 yrs), through a phone call. They promptly rushed back home and, with the assistance of their neighbors, initiated a search for their innocent daughter.
After an exhaustive and fruitless search, Ameen Masih proceeded to Saddar Police Station Sialkot and filed a report regarding his missing daughter. An FIR [First Information Report, vides No. 819/24] was registered against Muhammad Saif Ali, Sharjeel Ali, and Muhammad Suleman under section 365 PPC [Pakistan Penal Code].
Ameen Masih informed BACA, “None of us could sleep that night. The concerns about her safety kept us awake, and we have been praying the whole night.”
On the morning of April 5th, around 10:00 am, an envelope mysteriously dropped by someone at the house of Ameen Masih unleashed a nightmare upon the family. Inside the envelope lay a marriage certificate for their underage daughter, Sania, with Muhammad Saif Ali (23 yrs), an already married Muslim from the locality. Shockingly, Sania’s age on the marriage certificate had been tampered with; while she is 13 years old according to NADRA [The National Database and Registration Authority], her age on the marriage certificate had been fraudulently altered to 18 years for the purpose of the conversion and marriage.
“Sania is married off for a bride price of only Rs. 5000 (£14),” disclosed Dr. Adil Ghouri, a social activist.
The marriage was orchestrated with the assistance of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan’s Qari Shakir Hussain, a Muslim extremist known for his involvement in the conversion of Christian women and encouraging Muslim men to groom these women into marriage.
Dr. Adil Ghouri further elaborated, “Qari Shakir Hussain is notorious for orchestrating illegal conversions of minor Christian girls. He instigates Muslim men to abduct Christian women and brings them to his residence, where he arranges marriages.”
Due to his influence in the area, the impoverished victims refrain from speaking out against him or reporting his involvement in illegal conversions and forced marriages of Christian girls to the police.
Ameen Masih, with tears in his eyes, recounted this harrowing experience, saying, “This unbelievable news shattered my world. In sorrow, my wife started beating her chest and fell to the ground with grief.”
On April 12th, the BACA team visited Ameen Masih at his residence in Anjooter Village, Sialkot. He has four daughters: Rabeeta (20 yrs), Hina (19 yrs), Arooj (17 yrs), Sania (13 yrs), and a son, Abi Masih (9 yrs). Ameen earns a living by stitching footballs at his residence to make ends meet for his family. He expressed to BACA, “All I want is to get my daughter back to me.”
“Muhammad Saif brandishes weapons and strolls through my street, threatening me. He has warned me that he will kidnap my other daughters if I don’t withdraw the application against him,” Ameen Masih continued, revealing the ongoing terror he and his family endure.
Regrettably, the police have yet to arrest any of the culprits, leaving Ameen Masih and his family in a state of vulnerability and distress.
BACA, in collaboration with local activists, has submitted an application at the office of the DPO Sialkot [District Police Officer] regarding the violation of the Punjab Marriage Restraint Act 2015. This act stipulates that the minimum age for marriage for a girl is 16 years. Furthermore, it delineates a punishment for such crimes, including a fine of Rs. 50,000 or imprisonment for up to six months.
We are committed to ensuring that the family receives the justice they deserve and that their daughter, Sania, is safely reunited with them. In order to achieve this, our immediate priority is to provide the family with a safe place to stay and to secure legal representation to challenge for Sania’s return through a legal advocate.
To make this possible, we urgently need to raise funds to cover the cost of rent for a safe house for at least six months, amounting to £150 per month, as well as the fees for a solicitor, which total £1500. Your support can make a real difference in helping us achieve these goals and bringing hope back into the lives of this devastated family.
You can contribute to this important cause by donating (here). Every donation, no matter how big or small, will bring us one step closer to ensuring justice and safety for Sania and her family. Thank you for your generosity and compassion.
As a trustee, Juliet Chowdhry expresses deep concern and empathy for the emotional turmoil the family of the abducted 13-year-old girl is enduring. She said: “The threat looming over their heads, compounded by the uncertainty surrounding the child’s safety, is unimaginable. Our foremost priority is to ensure the safe return of the girl to her family, where she rightfully belongs.”
“It’s distressing to witness the failure of statutory services to promptly address such cases, leaving vulnerable girls and their families in a state of despair. It’s disheartening that immediate action is often not taken until humanitarian groups, like the British Asian Christian Association, intervene. This highlights a systemic flaw that needs urgent rectification.”
“The safety and well-being of every individual, especially minors, should be non-negotiable. We call upon authorities to prioritize the protection of these girls and to swiftly implement measures that prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future. Every child deserves to grow up in an environment where their rights and freedoms are respected, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure this fundamental human right is upheld.”
