Zarvia Pervaiz, 13, was torn from her family at the end of April. Under threats, she was forced to declare that she had converted and voluntarily married a Muslim, but Pakistani justice has ignored all laws against child marriage.
Lahore () – Another Christian minor was kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam and marry. Zarvia Pervaiz, 13, began receiving care from a Muslim couple in April. The Christian family had temporarily hosted Imran Shahzad, his wife Adiba and his three children at a time when they were facing financial difficulties. But then Zarvia’s mother, Yasmeen, kicked out the Muslim family because she resented Imran’s behavior, who constantly mistreated his wife.
A week later, on April 30, Adiba showed up at Pervaiz’s house to ask if Zarvia could go shopping with her. When the girl did not come home by nightfall, her parents started looking for her in the market, but she had already been kidnapped: Imran Shahzad had sent Yasmeen a voice note on Whatsapp saying that she would never return her.
The next day Zarvia’s family filed a complaint at the Sadiqabad police station in Rawalpindi, and two weeks later the Muslim spouses were arrested. She zarvia was recovered, but before the Rawalpindi magistrate she declared “that she had embraced Islam and married Imran Shahzad freely and with consent.” In reality, the girl revealed to her mother that her Imran had threatened her that if she did not make this statement, she would kill her brothers.
Yasmeen Pervaiz began a legal battle to regain custody of her daughter, but on July 13 the Rawalpindi judge rejected her request.
“Minorities do not enjoy the right of access to justice in a fair and complete way, because the police and courts continue to favor those responsible for the Muslim community, ignoring existing laws on forced marriage and sexual violence,” says Yasmeen Pervaiz. “The discriminatory practice in investigations and trials encourages perpetrators to abduct minority girls.”
Sherkan Malik, a Muslim human rights activist, confirmed that “state agencies tend to support those who commit crimes such as forced conversions, child marriages and sexual violence, because they are convinced that they will receive a heavenly reward for helping to convert someone to the ‘ Islam,” regardless of how intentional or coercive the conversion may be.”
Nadia Stephen, a Christian activist with Voice for Justice, pointed out the faults of the judge, who validated the marriage even though Zarvia was a minor. The Rawalpindi court should have considered the ruling issued by the Islamabad High Court in February this year, according to which “marriage of those under the age of 18 is illegal, even if it is of their own free will.” The court order also violates the law on child marriage, which prohibits marriages with girls under the age of 16.
Add Comment