On June 6, Christian rights activists and legal experts revealed during a press conference in Lahore, Pakistan, that the documents used to validate the marriage of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz were extensively forged.

These documents were presented to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) by the 30-year-old abductor, Muhammad Shehryar.

Earlier in March, the FCC ruled that the marriage between Shehryar and Shahbaz was valid under both Pakistani law and Islamic law. The court based its decision on the observation that Maria looked older than her actual age.

The ruling also noted that under Islamic law, a Muslim man is permitted to marry women from the “Ahl-e-Kitab” (People of the Book). Based on these points, the court dismissed the family’s request to get their daughter back.

Evidence of Forgery Exposed by Experts

Rights activists and legal experts have now challenged this verdict, alleging that the key documents presented to the court were completely fabricated. They pointed out several major flaws in the evidence:

• Incomplete Marriage Certificate — The Nikahnama (marriage certificate) lacked Maria’s signature/thumbprint and her national identity card number.
• Denial by the Cleric — The Muslim cleric listed as the officiant on the marriage certificate has formally denied having conducted or witnessed the marriage.
• Language Barriers — Maria’s statement, recorded before the magistrate, was written in English. However, Maria speaks only Punjabi. This raises serious concerns about whether the statement was actually hers or if she even understood what was written.

Legal experts state that this case highlights deep systemic flaws and loopholes within Pakistan’s judiciary and law enforcement. The fact that a perpetrator dared to present completely forged documents to one of the highest constitutional courts in the country and win shows how insulated criminals feel from the law.

Despite these massive challenges, Maria’s family has not given up. Her father, Shahbaz Masih, filed a review petition on April 30 to challenge the court’s verdict. Activists, lawyers, and community members continue to raise their voices to demand a full review of these fraudulent documents.

The local Christian community continues to stand with the family, praying for justice for Maria and for her safe return home to her parents.

Each year in Pakistan, roughly 1,000 young girls — many of whom are Christians — are kidnapped from their homes.

These girls are often found months later, after they’ve been forced to convert to Islam and marry older Muslim men. When a girl’s parents attempt to claim their daughter in court, they are often unable to provide a birth certificate to prove that she is underage. As a result, the judge often grants the man custody of the girl, denying the parents any chance of seeing their daughter again.

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email us. To support ICC’s work around the world, please give to our Where Most Needed Fund.