Pakistani girl at centre of forced marriage and conversion case moved to government shelter

Lawyers representing the family of a Pakistani Christian girl who was allegedly forced to convert to Islam as a minor have welcomed a court decision to position her in a neutral government shelter, pending the outcomes of an age test.

Sonia Tariq went missing in late 2024. When she was found, it emerged she had married an older Muslim man and converted to Islam. Tariq claims that she willingly converted and doesn’t want to return to her Christian family.

At the centre of the case is a dispute over Tariq’s age. Tariq herself has claimed to be 20 years old, while her family insist she is simply 15, a claim backed up by official records.

To determine whether Tariq was a minor on the time of her marriage and conversion, a court has ordered medical age tests to be conducted on her, as official records in Pakistan may not at all times be reliable.

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has ordered Tariq be placed in a government shelter within the meantime.

This decision was welcomed by The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS-UK), which has been working with Tariq’s Christian parents.

Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, said, “We are encouraged by the Federal Constitutional Court’s decision to position Sonia in a protected and neutral environment and to order an independent medical assessment of her age. This reflects a serious and balanced approach by the bench in a highly sensitive case.

“We have been pursuing this case since 2024 in close partnership with The Edge Foundation in Pakistan. For nearly two years, the family has been in search of justice under extremely difficult circumstances. Today’s development gives renewed hope – not only to this family, but to many others facing similar situations.”

An additional hearing is as a consequence of happen on 20 May.