To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the ruling of Lahore High Court on the legality of the marriage and religious conversion of Maira Shahbaz, in the light of (1) reports that she was abducted at gunpoint by the man to whom she was subsequently married, and (2) the earlier ruling of the Faisalabad and District Sessions Court that she was underage at the time of the marriage.
Answered on
10 September 2020
We are closely monitoring Maira Shahbaz's case following her reported abduction in April. The UK Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls.
We are concerned about women's and girls' rights and ongoing reports of forced marriage and forced conversion in Pakistan of women and girls from religious minorities such as Hindus, Christians and Sikhs.
We regularly raise our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girl's rights and gender equality with the government of Pakistan at a senior level. Most recently, I raised our human rights concerns with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 15 July.