On 9 July 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution strongly condemning the abduction, forced conversion to Islam, and child marriage of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz, a Christian girl from Lahore, Pakistan, and calling on Pakistani authorities to ensure her protection and prosecute perpetrators. The resolution, adopted in plenary, also demands a transparent review of her case with independent monitoring by human rights organizations and access to legal representation, psychological support, and family contact.
The resolution goes beyond the individual case to address systemic abuses against religious minorities in Pakistan. It condemns the systematic persecution of Christians and calls for the repeal of blasphemy laws, which are often used to target minorities. The Parliament urges Pakistan to adopt and fully implement a national framework to end child marriage, enforce existing provincial legislation, and create a national complaint mechanism for families of abducted or forcibly converted minority girls. It also calls for comprehensive victim support including safe shelters, legal aid, psychological counselling, and reintegration programmes, as well as measures to address root causes such as gender inequality, poverty, and discrimination.
The resolution links Pakistan's trade preferences under the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) to its human rights performance, warning that failure to implement human rights commitments could lead to withdrawal of GSP+ status. It calls on the EU and member states to systematically raise forced conversions, forced marriages, and protection of minorities in bilateral dialogues with Pakistan, including under GSP+ monitoring. This creates economic leverage for compliance and establishes a framework for EU-Pakistan engagement on religious minority rights.
The resolution sets a precedent for EU parliamentary action on similar cases involving religious minorities in other countries. It applies diplomatic pressure on Pakistan through formal condemnation and specific demands for judicial review, legislative reform, and victim protection. The resolution also calls for systematic EU monitoring and reporting, which could influence EU foreign policy decisions and member state diplomatic positions. The Parliament urges the Pakistani judiciary to ensure proceedings involving minority girls are free from external pressure, intimidation, or coercion, with structured capacity-building for the judiciary.
The resolution was adopted without identified authorship, reflecting broad cross-party support. It is a formal parliamentary position within the EU policy process, calling for action by Pakistani authorities and outlining the EU's stance on human rights violations against religious minorities in Pakistan. The resolution will be transmitted to the EU institutions, member states, and Pakistani authorities for follow-up.