Maira Shahbaz and child abduction, forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan

Early day motion 921, tabled 23 September 2020 by Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party). Signed by 28 members.

That this House notes with grave concern reports from Pakistan on Maira Shahbaz, a 14-year-old Christian girl who was abducted at gunpoint from the streets of Madina Town in Faisalabad by three men, forced to convert to Islam and then marry one of her abductors, Mr. Nakash; is further concerned that, despite her family producing a birth certificate showing Maira to be 14-years-old and the Grand Mufti of a local mosque condemning as false the marriage certificate produced in court by Mr Nakash, the Lahore High Court overruled an earlier decision by the Faisalabad Sessions and District court to place her in a women’s shelter, subsequently forcing her to return to Mr Nakash; understands that recently, Maira managed to escape from the home of Mr. Nakash and that she and her family are currently in hiding; calls on the UK government to do everything in its power to help Maira and all of the estimated 1,000 Pakistani Christian and Hindu girls who are kidnapped, forced to convert and marry their abductor every year.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 13, Conservative 5, DUP 4, Liberal Democrat 3, Labour 2, Independent 1.