A Christian couple in Pakistan was denied custody of their 12-year-old daughter by a high court judge after she was kidnapped almost four months ago and forced to convert to Islam. The girl’s parents have not had any direct contact with her since.
On 18 August, Parvez Masih and his wife, Yasmeen, went to court seeking custody of their daughter, Zarvia, who was kidnapped in April and forced to marry a Muslim man.
Parvez and Yasmeen have not had any direct contact with Zarvia since she was taken from their home by the family’s house guests.
Imran Shahzad and his wife, Adiba, were guests in the Masih’s home several months ago but were asked to leave after Imran allegedly abused his wife and three children.
On 20 April, a week after the Shahzad family had left the Masih home, Abida came back while Zarvia’s parents were out and lured the young girl out of the house. When Zarvia did not return home that evening, Parvez Masih and his wife began reaching out to their friends and family. Later that night, Parvez received a voice message from Imran Shahzad telling him that Zarvia was with him, and they should not contact her.
More than three weeks later, police recovered Zarvia from a brick kiln in Faisalabad. Police also arrested the Shahzad couple and their accomplice. Zarvia was taken to a women’s police station in Rawalpindi and was placed in the same cell as Imran’s wife, Adiba.
The next day, Zarvia recorded her statement in court. She claimed that she was 14 years old and did not want to undergo a medical examination. She also said she had converted to Islam and agreed to marry Imran of her own free will.
On the basis of her statement, the judge dismissed the kidnapping case and ordered the release of all three suspects.
In their petition on 18 August, Zarvia’s parents submitted her birth certificate, school certificates, and other documents as proof that she was under the legal age to marry, which is 16.
“The judge dismissed our petition in under two minutes – he even refused to look at any of the evidence, which clearly showed that the minor child was threatened to give a statement in favour of the accused,” human rights activist Sherkan Malik told MSN.
He explained that last month, Zarvia managed to call her brother. She told him that Imran Shahzad, 40, had threatened to kill her two brothers if she incriminated him in the abduction case.
According to Malik, the judge declared in court, “The girl is 12, she is married, and she did it out of her free will,” despite recorded evidence that Shahzad had threatened to kill Zarvia’s two brothers if she told the truth. The ruling leaves Zarvia in the custody of Imran, her new husband.
“Police and judiciary tend to support those who commit crimes such as forced conversions, child marriages, and sexual violence because they believe they will receive a heavenly reward for helping convert someone to Islam, regardless of how intentional or coercive the conversion is,” Malik explained.
Source: : CBN News, Morning Star News
Please Pray
Pray for Zarvia’s parents and family as they grieve what has happened. Pray that they will be able to submit another appeal to have Zarvia placed back in their custody.
Pray for young Zarvia as she deals with being taken from her family and forcibly married to a strange man. Pray that she will find comfort and protection in Christ.
Pray for the hundreds of young girls who are forced into marriages across Pakistan. Pray that Pakistani courts will uphold laws concerning the minimum age required to marry.