Pakistan Christian Woman’s Alleged Forced Conversion Highlights Growing Fears, Rights Groups Warn (Worthy News Focus)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – A young Christian woman who was allegedly abducted and forced to marry and convert to Islam appeared before a Pakistani court after her parents raised urgent concerns, Christians told Worthy News on Sunday.

Monica Jennifer, a 21-year-old Christian from the city of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad, disappeared from her home on November 17, sources said.

The case has intensified fears within Pakistan’s Christian minority as advocacy groups warn that forced conversions and coerced marriages of Christian and Hindu girls continue across the Muslim-majority nation.

Jennifer told the court that she “had converted to Islam and married her Muslim neighbor, Waleed Ahmad,” according to procedural information seen by Worthy News.

However, her family insists she was abducted, threatened, and coerced into making that statement. Worthy News usually does not publish names of possible sexual abuse victims unless they volunteer to come forward or
want to state their case publicly.

GROWING FEARS OVER FORCED CONVERSIONS AND DELAYS IN JUSTICE

Raza Arif, Monica’s brother, said in published remarks: “There is no way Monica would abandon her faith and family willingly. Her court statement was made under pressure. We just want our sister to be protected.”

Police reportedly delayed registering the family’s complaint for nearly a week — a delay that Christian human-rights lawyer Sardar Mushtaq Gill of LEAD Ministries says reflects “systemic discrimination” against the country’s Christian minority.

“The family has also received blasphemy threats for continuing to pursue the case,” he added, referring to accusations that can carry prison sentences or even the death penalty under Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws.

Gill said Monica’s father “tearfully pleaded for help,” describing the trauma of seeing his daughter allegedly abducted and forcibly converted to Islam before being married to a Muslim man.

Pastor Imran Amanat of LEAD Ministries urged prayers and public attention. “Please pray for the safe return of our Christian daughters. Some extremists justify underage or coerced marriages under Islamic Sharia, even though the law prohibits it.”

PAKISTAN RANKED AMONG WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS NATIONS FOR CHRISTIANS

Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries, noted that Christians remain “a peaceful community” yet face persistent targeting by extremists. “Christians pose no threat to anyone, yet some continue to attack them — even in countries where Christians form a majority,” he said.

LEAD Ministries said it will continue documenting Christian persecution, including violence, discrimination, and blasphemy accusations, while urging international bodies to act.

Human-rights groups estimate that between 1,000 and 1,600 Christian and Hindu girls are abducted annually in Pakistan, many forced to convert to Islam and marry their abductors.

Most victims are minors, and families often face legal intimidation or blasphemy threats when seeking justice.

Pakistan is ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where it says Christians face the most extreme persecution.

CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE CHRISTIAN GIRLS

Christians comprise roughly 3.3 million people — about 1.4 percent of Pakistan’s mainly Muslim population — according to several data reports.

Advocacy groups say urgent reforms are needed to prevent minors and young women from being pressured into marriages and conversions, to ensure police file complaints promptly and impartially.

LEAD Ministries said protecting “the dignity, safety, and freedom of young Christian women and girls” must become an international priority.

The group warned that the current climate leaves thousands vulnerable to abduction, coercion, and exploitation.

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