The Lahore High Court (LHC) upheld a decision awarding custody of a 13-year-old Christian girl to a 30-year-old Muslim man accused of forcibly marrying and converting her to Islam after abducting her.
Rejecting her parents' request that their daughter, Nayab Gill, was underage and could not be married or converted, Justice Shahram Chaudhry granted her custody to the child's alleged abductor on July 1.
The court based its decision on the girl's statement that she was 19-years-old at the time of marriage and took the decision on her own. The child's statement, as per her father, was made under coercion and threats to her life.
Morning Star News quoted Nayab Gill's father as saying that his daughter was brought to the court by the police on July 1 and over a dozen members of the alleged abductor's members were also present on the occasion. The judge asked her if she wanted to go with her husband, Hayat, and she replied in the affirmative, reiterating that getting married was her own decision.
Her father says that Hayat and his family threatened the girl and coerced her into giving this statement.
Rejecting her parents' request that their daughter, Nayab Gill, was underage and could not be married or converted, Justice Shahram Chaudhry granted her custody to the child's alleged abductor on July 1.
The court based its decision on the girl's statement that she was 19-years-old at the time of marriage and took the decision on her own. The child's statement, as per her father, was made under coercion and threats to her life.
Morning Star News quoted Nayab Gill's father as saying that his daughter was brought to the court by the police on July 1 and over a dozen members of the alleged abductor's members were also present on the occasion. The judge asked her if she wanted to go with her husband, Hayat, and she replied in the affirmative, reiterating that getting married was her own decision.
Her father says that Hayat and his family threatened the girl and coerced her into giving this statement.