Proto Thema: Pakistani court rules in favour of Muslim man who kidnapped 13-year-old Christian bride

Yet another Christian child has been kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam and marry in Pakistan, Proto Thema reported.

Zarvia Pervaiz, 13, had begun receiving the attention of a Muslim couple in April. The Christian family had hosted Imran Shahzad, his wife Adiba, and their three children for a time at a time when they were facing economic difficulties.

However, Zarvia’s mother, Yasmeen, had then asked the Muslim family to leave as she was disturbed by Imran’s constant abuse of his wife.

A week later, on April 30, Adiba showed up at the Pervaiz home asking that Zarvia could accompany her to the grocery store.

When the girl did not return home at dusk, her parents started looking for her in the market, but she had already been kidnapped: Imran Shahzad had sent Yasmeen a voice note via Whatsapp saying he would never return the minor.

The next day Zarvia’s family filed a complaint at the Sadiqabad police station in Rawalpindi, and within two weeks the Muslim couple was arrested.

Zarvia was recovered, but before the Rawalpindi magistrate she claimed: “that she had embraced Islam and entered into a marriage with Imran Shahzad in a free and consensual manner.”

In fact, the Christian girl revealed to her mother that she had been threatened by Imran: if she did not give this statement her brothers would be killed.

Yasmeen Pervaiz began fighting a legal battle to regain custody of her daughter, but on July 13 the Rawalpindi judge rejected her request.

“Minorities do not fairly and fully enjoy the right of access to justice, as the police and court continue to favor perpetrators from the Muslim community, ignoring existing laws on forced marriage and sexual violence,” said Yasmeen Pervaiz.

“The discriminatory practice in investigations and trials encourages perpetrators to take minority underage girls away from their parents.”