A court in Pakistan has taken a significant step in the case of Sonia Tariq, a Christian girl at the centre of an alleged forced conversion.
Authorities have ordered Sonia to be placed in a government shelter, whilst medical tests can be carried out to determine her age.
Sonia’s family allege that she is 15, and was pressured into a forced conversion and subsequently married to an older Muslim man.
Sonia appeared in court on 6 May, and told the two-member bench of the Federal Constitutional Court that she was 20 years old. However, her family believe this statement could have been made under duress.
While age verification tests are not always accurate, any confirmation that Sonia is under 17 would support her return to her family under Pakistani law. They are represented by the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS-UK).
“We have been pursuing this case since 2024 in close partnership with The Edge Foundation in Pakistan,” said CLAAS-UK director Nasir Seed. “For nearly two years, the family has been seeking justice under extremely difficult circumstances. Today’s development gives renewed hope—not only to this family, but to many others facing similar situations.”
“We are encouraged by the Federal Constitutional Court’s decision to place Sonia in a safe and neutral environment,” he added. “This reflects a serious and balanced approach by the bench in a highly sensitive case.”
Sonia’s case is not the only one of its kind; in 2024, twelve-year-old Fairy Shaukat was abducted by a Muslim neighbour, into what her mother believes was a forced marriage.
Yet there is hope: in 2025, 18-year-old Shahida Biba successfully won a case against her captor, who had “bought” her when she was just eleven.
Nasir Seed said: "Too often, courts accept claims under Shariah law and allow underage girls to remain with their abductors. In Islam, any girl who has started menstruating is sometimes wrongly considered an adult, leading to misuse of this interpretation to justify child marriages. Hundreds of girls are kidnapped each year – most are never returned."
CLASS-UK are urging prayer for comprehensive law changes in Pakistan, and for the rights of Christian girls to be upheld in the country’s courts.