TOBA TEK SINGH: A minor Christian girl, allegedly kidnapped some five months ago, has been recovered and handed over to her parents in Chak 233 RB, Hari Singhwala, Faisalabad.
According to an FIR registered on Feb 11 under sections 376, 364, 365, 420, 468, and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code, Laiba, 11, daughter of complainant Suhail Maseeh, was abducted by Irfan Maseeh and his five accomplices and later handed over to Shafqat Shah who forcibly converted Laiba to Islam and married her.
Several inquiries by different police teams declared that Laiba was underage and confirmed that her nikah with Shah was illegal and conducted after her forced conversion. The probes also revealed that Laiba’s transfer from Darul Aman to Shafqat Shah violated rules.
Christian leaders Lala Daniel Robin, Shazia George, Romana Bashir, Saiqa Rehmat, Shaheen Anthony, Pervez Iqbal Bhatti, Yashwa Bhatti, and Laiba’s father, Suhail Maseeh thanked international and Pakistani human rights organisations in a press conference on Sunday for raising their voices for Laiba’s recovery.
Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024
