Alleged Kidnapper Given Custody of 13-Year-Old Christian Girl in Pakistan
July 29, 2026
Cases involving the alleged abduction, forced conversion and marriage of Christian girls continue to raise serious concerns among human-rights and religious-freedom advocates in Pakistan. In the latest case, the custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl has reportedly been given to a Muslim man accused of abducting her, even as questions remain regarding her age and the circumstances surrounding her alleged conversion and marriage.
The decision has renewed concerns about the protection of Christian minors and the need for authorities to ensure that children are not subjected to coercion, intimidation or forced religious conversion. Advocates are calling for greater judicial scrutiny and effective safeguards for religious-minority children.
LAHORE, Pakistan - A Pakistani court has handed custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl to a Muslim man accused by her family of abducting her, forcing her to convert to Islam and coercing her into marriage, despite a court-ordered medical examination that had not yet determined the girl’s age.
The decision was issued on July 25 by Additional District and Sessions Judge Rana Sohail in Faisalabad. According to Joseph Janssen, chairman of the rights organization Voice for Justice, the court accepted an affidavit from the girl, Amber Nadeem, in which she reportedly stated that she had converted to Islam and married Mohsin Liaqat voluntarily and denied being abducted.
Following the statement, the court granted Liaqat post-arrest bail. He had reportedly remained in judicial custody since June 26.
The ruling has raised serious concerns among Christian rights advocates because a previous magistrate had ordered a medical examination to establish Amber’s age and had directed that she remain in a government shelter while the case proceeded.
Questions Over the Girl’s Age
According to Janssen, Amber had appeared before a judicial magistrate on June 27 and allegedly told the court that members of the accused man’s family had pressured and coached her to claim that she was an adult.
Questions also arose concerning documents produced by the accused. A conversion certificate and marriage certificate reportedly gave Amber’s date of birth as June 2008. Her parents, however, were married in 2012, creating what advocates described as a significant inconsistency in the documentation.
Because of these discrepancies, the magistrate ordered a medical examination to determine Amber’s actual age.
Despite the examination remaining pending, the sessions court subsequently granted custody of the girl to Liaqat and released him on bail.
Janssen questioned why the court proceeded with the custody decision before the medical report had been submitted.
Concerns About Coercion and Intimidation
Rights advocates have also raised concerns about what occurred during earlier court proceedings.
Janssen alleged that lawyers representing the accused warned Amber that she could face punishment for apostasy if she attempted to renounce Islam. He further alleged that the defense argued that legal protections for children and religious minorities should no longer apply after a person converts to Islam, regardless of age.
Christian rights advocates strongly disputed this position, warning that a child’s alleged conversion should not remove legal protections against abduction, forced conversion, forced marriage or exploitation.
They also warned that placing a minor under the influence of the person accused of abducting and marrying her could expose her to further intimidation and abuse.
Parents Appeal for Their Daughter’s Return
Amber’s parents, Nadeem Masih and Nadia Nadeem, have appealed publicly for help in recovering their daughter.
Her mother described the family as devastated by Amber’s disappearance and said they had repeatedly sought assistance from police but felt that their appeals had not received an adequate response.
The case has become another source of concern for Christian organizations monitoring allegations of abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage involving Christian girls and women in Pakistan.
The ruling also came shortly after Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court agreed to review a controversial decision involving another 13-year-old Christian girl, Maria Shahbaz, whose alleged abduction, conversion and marriage to a Muslim man had previously been upheld by the court.
Advocates say such cases demonstrate the urgent need for stronger safeguards for religious-minority children and for courts to carefully examine allegations of coercion, age discrepancies and forced conversion before making custody or marriage-related decisions.
Christian Persecution Relief Pakistan Message
Christian Persecution Relief Pakistan (CPRP) expresses deep concern over the reported decision to place a 13-year-old Christian girl in the custody of a man accused of abducting, forcibly converting and coercing her into marriage while questions concerning her age and the circumstances of her conversion remain unresolved.
Children must be protected regardless of their religious identity. No child should be subjected to abduction, forced conversion, forced marriage, intimidation or exploitation. We call upon Pakistani authorities and the judiciary to ensure that Amber Nadeem’s safety and welfare remain the highest priority, that all evidence concerning her age and alleged coercion is properly examined, and that the rule of law is applied without discrimination.
CPRP urges the relevant authorities to protect Christian minorities, uphold the rights of children, and ensure that allegations involving forced conversion and child marriage are investigated transparently and impartially. We also stand with Amber’s family as they continue to seek the safe return and protection of their daughter.