The British Asian Christian Association (BACA) welcomed the opportunity to attend an important parliamentary event hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Pakistani Minorities on 16th June 2026, which examined the growing crisis of ideologically motivated sexual grooming of minority women and girls.
BACA was represented by Juliet Chowdhry, whilst Pakistani Christian Campaigner Wilson Chowdhry attended separately in his capacity as Chairman of United by Faith. Their attendance reflected the many years both organisations have spent advocating for Christian and other minority girls who have suffered abduction, rape, forced conversion and forced marriage in Pakistan.
The event, held in partnership with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and Refcemi, brought together distinguished speakers including Professor Mariz Tadros, Lord Alton of Liverpool, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos and Professor Javaid Rehman. The launch of Professor Tadros’ new publication, Ideologically Motivated Sexual Grooming, highlighted evidence from Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria, India and other countries where women from minority faith communities are deliberately targeted because of both their gender and religious identity.
The discussions rightly recognised that minority women experience a unique form of persecution that combines sexual violence, religious coercion and discrimination. Speakers called for greater legal protection, political reform, survivor support and increased public awareness.
However, during the discussion, Wilson Chowdhry raised several significant concerns which he believes must be addressed if meaningful progress is to be achieved in Pakistan.
The Missing Obstacle: Pakistan’s Qisas and Diyat Laws
Mr Chowdhry noted that neither the new publication nor the parliamentary discussion addressed one of the greatest barriers to justice in Pakistan—the country’s notorious Qisas and Diyat laws.
These Islamic legal provisions allow perpetrators of serious violent crimes, including murder and, in practice, many cases connected to rape and forced conversion, to escape meaningful punishment through financial compensation or negotiated “compromise” settlements with victims’ families. Such agreements frequently result from intimidation, coercion or immense social pressure.
Mr Chowdhry explained that unless these laws are fundamentally reformed or abolished, any new legislation designed to protect vulnerable women and girls risks becoming ineffective.
“Without removing Pakistan’s Qisas and Diyat provisions, every new safeguarding law is built upon unstable foundations. Criminals know that there remains a pathway to escape punishment, creating a dangerous sense of impunity that encourages further abuse.”
Forced Marriage Does Not Describe the Full Crime
Mr Chowdhry also questioned whether the terminology currently used sufficiently reflects the brutality experienced by victims.
While forced marriage is an important element of these cases, he argued that the term fails to convey the sequence of crimes typically committed beforehand.
Many victims are first abducted, raped, psychologically manipulated, isolated from their families and then coerced into marriage and religious conversion. The violence itself becomes a tool of entrapment.
Likewise, while the phrase “ideologically motivated sexual grooming” accurately describes many cases involving minors, Mr Chowdhry observed that it does not fully encompass the wider pattern of violent coercion, rape and forced marriage inflicted upon both children and adult women.
He suggested that future legal reforms should recognise these offences as a distinct pattern of organised gender-based and religiously motivated violence rather than treating each offence in isolation.
Challenging the Honour Culture that Sustains Abuse
The newly launched publication also explored aspects of Pakistan’s honour culture that compound the suffering of victims.
Mr Chowdhry agreed with these findings but stressed that much greater efforts are needed to confront the deeply rooted social attitudes that leave survivors ostracised.
In many communities, girls who have been raped or forcibly married are viewed as having brought shame upon their families despite being victims of serious crimes. They frequently struggle to marry, face rejection by relatives and often remain isolated long after escaping their abusers.
Mr Chowdhry argued that changing legislation alone will never be enough unless these harmful cultural attitudes are challenged across every community and every faith.
Why So Many Families Are Abandoned
Drawing upon BACA’s extensive experience supporting affected families, Mrs Juliet Chowdhry also highlighted an issue that receives little public attention.
Many charities begin assisting families when cases are initially reported as kidnappings or rape investigations. However, support frequently diminishes once it becomes apparent that perpetrators are claiming the victim entered into a romantic relationship or willingly converted and married.
This is particularly problematic because grooming itself is not recognised as a criminal offence in Pakistan. Furthermore, although several provinces have introduced legislation establishing 18 as the minimum age for marriage, courts and religious authorities often continue to validate underage marriages through inconsistent interpretation and enforcement.
As a result, many parents are left to continue complex legal battles with little professional support.
Protecting Victims During Investigations
Mrs Chowdhry also urged reforms to the way victims are protected once police become involved.
Instead of immediately returning children to their parents while investigations proceed, many girls are placed in government women’s shelters known as Dar-ul-Amans.
Although intended as places of safety, BACA has documented numerous cases in which perpetrators or their associates have allegedly obtained access to these facilities through corruption or bribery, enabling them to threaten, intimidate or pressure victims into falsely declaring before the courts that they willingly converted and married.
Mrs Chowdhry argued that children should instead be safely reunited with their parents wherever possible while investigations take place, with proper state protection and safeguarding measures.
She also called upon the Pakistani Government to provide legal representation and financial assistance directly to affected families, removing their dependence upon charities to pursue justice.
A Call for Comprehensive Reform
Juliet Chowdhry, trustee for British Asian Christian Association, said: “The British Asian Christian Association warmly welcomes the growing international recognition of ideologically motivated sexual grooming and commends the APPG for Pakistani Minorities, the Institute of Development Studies and Refcemi for bringing this neglected issue before Parliament.
However, BACA believes that genuine protection for minority women and girls will require far more comprehensive reform.
This must include meaningful reform of Pakistan’s Qisas and Diyat laws, stronger enforcement of child marriage legislation, criminalisation of grooming regardless of whether victims are minors or adults, improved state-funded legal support for affected families, effective safeguarding that protects victims from intimidation, and long-term efforts to challenge the honour culture that continues to stigmatise survivors.
Only by addressing both the legal loopholes and the social attitudes that enable these crimes can Pakistan begin to offer genuine justice and lasting protection to vulnerable women and girls.”
The British Asian Christian Association (BACA) provides practical support, emergency relief, legal assistance, and advocacy for Christians and other vulnerable minorities facing persecution in Pakistan. If you would like to help us continue this vital work, please consider making a donation here.
