
14-Year-Old Christian Girl Kidnapped in Sialkot: Family Appeals for Justice
On January 9, 2025, a harrowing case of abduction emerged in Korpur, Sialkot, when 14-year-old Christian girl, Saneha Sharif, was kidnapped outside her home by a group of five Muslim men. The shocking incident has sent shockwaves through the Christian community, raising concerns over the growing trend of forced conversions and coerced marriages targeting minority girls in Pakistan.
According to Sharif Masih, Saneha’s distressed father, his daughter was lured outside their home by a Muslim girl from a newly settled family in the neighbourhood. As soon as she stepped out, she was forcibly taken away in a van by the kidnappers, which included two women, one of whom was the mother of the girl who had deceived Saneha into leaving her home. Rehan Razaque, a local eyewitness, confirmed witnessing the terrifying abduction.
Sharif Masih, fears that the kidnappers plan to forcibly convert his daughter to Islam and marry her off to one of the accused. Among the suspects is Muhammad Dildar, who had allegedly been making unwanted advances toward Saneha, which she consistently rejected. Despite promptly reporting the abduction to the police, Masih asserts that the authorities have failed to take sufficient action to recover his daughter.
The First Information Report (FIR) registered at Muradpur Police Station lists the accused individuals as Samina (wife of Muhammad Usman), Muhammad Dildar, Hassnain, and Muhammad Shabbir. While the police arrested two suspects, Samina and Shabbir, the main culprits remain at large. Samina has been remanded to judicial custody, while Shabbir is in police custody under a six-day remand for interrogation. However, the authorities have yet to extract any useful information regarding Saneha’s whereabouts.
Masih expressed his deep frustration over the police’s apparent reluctance in actively pursuing the case. “Despite repeated pleas, law enforcement is failing to act decisively to arrest the remaining suspects. We even provided them with cell phone numbers linked to Dildar, yet no action has been taken to trace him,” he lamented. He believes that his Christian faith and economic vulnerability are key reasons why police officials are not prioritizing the case.
“This is not just about my daughter; Christian girls are being targeted time and again, and the perpetrators know they can act with impunity,” said Masih. “It has been nearly two weeks, and we fear that Saneha will be forced into a sham marriage to legalize this crime.”
The family’s distress has taken a severe toll on their well-being. Saneha’s mother has fallen gravely ill due to the overwhelming stress of her daughter’s disappearance, requiring hospitalization twice for treatment. In a desperate plea, the family has urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the Inspector General of Punjab Police to intervene and ensure Saneha’s safe and immediate recovery.
Our partners have met with the family and have assured them of legal aid and full support in their pursuit of justice. They are working to ensure that the family receives the legal backing needed to bring Saneha home as soon as possible.
The abduction and forced conversion of minority women remains a serious human rights crisis in Pakistan. Although Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) criminalizes the kidnapping of women for forced marriages, weak enforcement of the law enables perpetrators to act with impunity. The Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau has acknowledged the case and called for stronger legal protections to prevent such heinous crimes from continuing unchecked.
Under growing public pressure, police officials have assured that they are intensifying efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects and recover Saneha safely. A special police task force has been assigned to the case, yet activists remain secptical, citing the lack of decisive action in previous minority abduction cases.
Saneha’s abduction is a stark reminder of the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, where deep-rooted religious intolerance continues to endanger lives. The Christian community in Sialkot and across Pakistan is demanding swift justice and stronger protections for religious minorities. The coming days will determine whether Pakistan’s justice system delivers justice or allows another case to fade into obscurity.