On June 6, 2026, Christian rights activists and legal experts revealed at a press conference in Lahore, Pakistan, that the documents used to validate the marriage of Maria Shahbaz, a Christian girl just 13 years old, had been extensively falsified. The documents were submitted to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) by Maria's kidnapper, 30-year-old Muhammad Shehryar. In March, the FCC had declared the "marriage" valid under Pakistani and Islamic law, based on the observation that Maria "looked older than her actual age," and denied the family the right to recover their daughter.
The experts identified several serious irregularities: the marriage certificate (Nikahnama) contained neither Maria's signature nor her fingerprint, nor her national identity number; the Muslim cleric listed as the officiant formally denied having conducted or witnessed the marriage; and Maria's statement recorded before the magistrate was written in English, although she speaks only Punjabi, raising serious doubts about whether the statement was actually hers. Legal experts say the case exposes deep systemic failures in Pakistan's judiciary and security forces.
Maria's father, Shahbaz Masih, filed a review petition on April 30 to challenge the court's ruling. Activists, lawyers and community members continue to speak out to demand a thorough review of the fraudulent documents. The local Christian community continues to stand alongside the family in prayer for Maria's release. Maria's tragedy is not an isolated one: every year in Pakistan, around 1,000 girls, many of them Christians, are abducted, forced to convert to Islam and married to older Muslim men.
Pray for Maria Shahbaz and all Christian girls abducted in Pakistan. Ask God to move the Pakistani judicial system to recognize the fraud and return Maria to her family. Intercede for the lawyers and activists fighting for justice in this case, asking for protection and perseverance. Cry out to the Lord for the Church in Pakistan to remain united and courageous in the face of this crisis, and for the international community to press the Pakistani government to protect the rights of Christian minorities.
