75% Victims Hindu, Girls 14-18 Targeted: Forced Conversion Cases In Pakistan Make UN Worry

Last Updated:April 22, 2026, 21:59 IST

According to the experts, around 75 per cent of women and girls affected by forced conversion through marriage in 2025 were Hindu.

The United Nations experts expressed serious concern over what they described as continued and widespread patterns of abduction and forced religious conversion through marriage affecting women and girls from minority communities in Pakistan. The experts said impunity was allowing the practice to continue and called for urgent legal and institutional action.

Hindu, Christian Girls Account For Majority Of Reported Cases

According to the experts, around 75 per cent of women and girls affected by forced conversion through marriage in 2025 were Hindu while 25 per cent were Christian. They said nearly 80 per cent of reported incidents occurred in Sindh province. The experts added that adolescent girls between the ages of 14 and 18 were particularly targeted, while some reported victims were younger.

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“Any change of religion or belief must be genuinely free from coercion, and marriage must be based on full and free consent, which is not legally possible when the victim is a child," the experts said. They said women and girls affected by such cases often face physical and sexual abuse, exploitation, social stigma and severe trauma.

Call To Raise Marriage Age To 18 Nationwide

The experts reiterated calls on Pakistan to intensify efforts to eradicate forced conversions and raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 in all provinces and territories. They also urged authorities to criminalise forced religious conversion as a separate offence and fully enforce laws related to human trafficking and sexual violence.

The UN experts said they were deeply concerned that law enforcement agencies often dismiss complaints filed by victims’ families, fail to investigate cases promptly, or do not properly assess the age of victims. They urged prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all allegations and called for perpetrators to be brought to justice.

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The experts also called on Pakistan to provide comprehensive support services for victims, including safe shelters, legal aid, psychological counselling and reintegration programmes. They said child-centric and gender-responsive protection systems were necessary for survivors.

The UN experts said that the Pakistan government has not taken sufficient measures to address underlying causes such as gender inequality, poverty, discrimination against religious minorities, religious intolerance and impunity.

“Freedom of religion or belief and equality must be ensured for all without discrimination," the experts said.

News world 75% Victims Hindu, Girls 14-18 Targeted: Forced Conversion Cases In Pakistan Make UN Worry

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