A 17-year-old Christian girl, Sanam, from village 75JB (Pansara Soal), Faisalabad, who disappeared earlier this month, has been sent by court order to live with her Muslim husband after she declared in court that she had converted to Islam and married him of her own will. Her mother, however, insists she was abducted, forced to convert, and pressured to give the statement.

Sanam vanished on September 1, 2025, while attending a beautician training course at a local salon. Her mother, Razia Bibi, said the family initially thought she was still at the salon, but later learned that Ali Hassan, a Muslim man from the same area, had taken her away.

My daughter was just 17 according to her birth certificate. We sent her to a salon for training to secure her future. We never imagined it was working as a conversion trap for Christian girls. She was abducted and forced into this marriage. She was in tears in court but not allowed to speak freely.
— Razia Bibi

On the day of her disappearance, Sanam’s father, Razaq Masih, submitted an application at Thakary Police Station. However, the complaint was withdrawn under pressure from the village panchayat, which promised to settle the matter locally. Between September 3 and 13, several meetings were held, where Ali Hassan’s family promised to return the girl but never produced her.

When hopes of settlement failed, Razia filed a new complaint on September 6. An FIR under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (abduction for forced marriage) was registered. Razia alleged she had to pay Rs.3,000 to the police to ensure the case was filed. Ali Hassan was briefly detained but released within hours.

The case reached the Sessions Court Faisalabad on September 14. Sanam appeared in court the following day, visibly distressed, but was taken away by the accused without making a statement. On September 16, she was again produced before the court, accompanied by Ali Hassan, his lawyer, and more than 15 men. Before the hearing, Sanam asked that her family be removed from the courtroom. Once alone, she reportedly told the judge she had embraced Islam and married Ali Hassan by choice.

Her mother rejected the claim.

For more than two weeks, we were denied any access to her. All the documents – marriage, conversion, and statements – were prepared secretly. She was under pressure when she made that statement. My daughter has been silenced.
— Razia Bibi

Local villager Rafaqat Masih, who assisted the family, confirmed that Ali Hassan never appeared before the panchayat despite living nearby.

His family attended the meetings but never produced Sanam. Meanwhile, the paperwork was arranged behind closed doors, keeping her parents in the dark.
— Rafaqat Masih

The Edge Foundation, a human rights group, has offered free legal assistance to take the case to the Lahore High Court. Razia has agreed, though other family members remain hesitant due to fear of reprisals.

Context: Forced Conversions in Pakistan

Sanam, an active church member who taught Sunday school, is one of many Christian and Hindu girls abducted annually in Punjab, often coerced into religious conversions and marriages. Village 75JB, also known as Azafai Abadi, is home to around 60 Christian families living among more than 150 Muslim households. Most work at local brick kilns under bonded labour conditions, making them socially and economically vulnerable.

Human rights activists say Sanam’s case highlights a recurring pattern where minority girls are targeted, while police and local councils fail to provide protection.

Razia Bibi, clutching her daughter’s photograph, made a tearful plea:

I just want to see my daughter again. She is living under fear and threat. I will not stop searching for her, no matter how long it takes.
— Razia Bibi