United Nations human rights experts have renewed alarm over the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of minority girls in Pakistan, urging urgent legal reforms and stronger protections for vulnerable communities.

United Nations human rights experts have expressed grave concern over what they describe as a continuing pattern of abduction, forced religious conversion and marriage involving women and girls from minority communities in Pakistan, calling on authorities to implement urgent legal and institutional reforms to end the practice.

The warning came in a statement issued by independent UN experts, who said that impunity and systemic discrimination have enabled the continued targeting of Hindu and Christian girls, particularly in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh. The experts urged Islamabad to strengthen legal protections, ensure accountability for perpetrators and guarantee the rights of minority communities.

According to the experts, women and girls from religious minorities continue to face abduction, coercion, forced conversion to Islam and subsequent marriage, often while still minors. The UN said these incidents violate fundamental rights, including freedom of religion, personal liberty and the right to free and full consent in marriage.

UN experts described the phenomenon as a “relentless practice” affecting vulnerable minority communities across the country.

Minority girls remain disproportionately affected

UN data cited by the experts indicates that in 2025 approximately 75 per cent of reported victims of forced conversion through marriage were Hindu girls and women, while around 25 per cent were Christians. Most cases were reported from Sindh, where sizeable Hindu minority communities reside.

The experts noted that many victims are between 14 and 18 years old, although younger children have also reportedly been affected. Rights groups have long argued that poverty, social marginalisation and weak law enforcement make minority families especially vulnerable.

According to reports referenced by the UN, victims are frequently removed from their families, pressured into declaring religious conversion and then married to older men. In many cases, courts and local authorities have accepted conversion certificates or marriage documents without adequately investigating allegations of coercion or the age of the victim.

The UN experts stressed that a child cannot legally provide free and informed consent to either marriage or religious conversion. They reiterated that any change of faith must be voluntary and free from coercion.

Calls for legal reforms and stronger enforcement

The UN statement urged Pakistan to adopt comprehensive measures to prevent forced conversions and child marriages. Among the recommendations was the establishment of 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage across all provinces and territories. The experts also called for legislation explicitly criminalising forced religious conversions.

Human rights advocates have long argued that inconsistencies in provincial laws and weak implementation have allowed perpetrators to evade accountability. Although Pakistan has enacted various child protection measures, campaigners say enforcement remains uneven, particularly in rural areas.

The UN experts further called for improved victim protection mechanisms, including safe shelters, legal aid and psychological support for survivors and their families. They urged authorities to ensure that complaints are investigated promptly and impartially.

Long-standing human rights concern

The issue of forced conversions and marriages has been raised repeatedly by international organisations, Pakistani rights groups and minority community leaders over the past decade. In 2024, UN experts warned that minority girls remained vulnerable to forced conversions and criticised the lack of adequate legal safeguards.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other civil society organisations have documented numerous cases involving Hindu and Christian girls forced into conversion and marriage. Estimates cited by rights advocates suggest that dozens of girls may be affected each month, although the true scale of the problem is believed to be significantly higher due to underreporting and fear of reprisals.

Researchers and rights organisations have argued that the problem reflects broader challenges facing religious minorities in Pakistan, including discrimination, social exclusion and limited access to justice. A recent academic study highlighted continuing concerns over forced conversions, blasphemy-related pressures and other human rights violations affecting non-Muslim communities.

The UN experts said the persistence of these cases points to systemic discrimination against non-Muslim women and girls. They warned that victims often live in fear and are deprived of their autonomy, education and freedom of belief.

International scrutiny grows

The latest intervention places Pakistan under renewed international scrutiny regarding its treatment of religious minorities and women’s rights. Human rights organisations have welcomed the UN statement, saying it reinforces long-standing calls for stronger protections and accountability.

While Pakistani authorities have previously stated their commitment to protecting minority rights, activists maintain that meaningful progress will require comprehensive legal reforms, stronger policing, judicial oversight and community-level awareness programmes.

The UN experts concluded that ending forced conversions and child marriages is essential for safeguarding human rights and ensuring equal protection under the law for all citizens, regardless of religion. They called on Pakistan to act decisively to protect vulnerable girls and uphold its international human rights obligations.