On the International Day of the Girl Child, Church in Pakistan Decries Rejection of Bill Against ‘Conversion and Forced Marriage’ of Underaged Girls

Police officers escort Arzoo Raja, center, a teenage Christian girl, who was allegedly abducted and forced to convert and marry a 44-year old Muslim, while they leave after appearance before the High Court, in Karachi, Pakistan, Nov. 3, 2020. Rights groups say each year in Pakistan, as many as 1,000 girls are forcibly converted to Islam, often after being abducted or tricked.

Abduction and forced marriage of Christian and other minority girls is a widespread occurrence in Pakistan.