A Christian girl named Mehak Pervaiz aged about 14/15 years old was abducted by a Muslim boy from her workplace and then forcibly got married to her after converting her. According to the facts shared with CLAAS that Pervaiz Masih is a poor man and doing labor, he is living in Mohallah Jamu Gate, Zafarwal District Narowal.  His daughter namely Mehak Bibi had been working as a beautician in a beauty salon named “Choice Beauty Salon”.  On January 15, 2023, at about 8:30 in the morning Mehak’s brother Aurangzaib dropped her at the beauty salon as usual. On the same evening when Aurangzaib went to pick up her sister from the beauty salon, he was informed by the owner of the beauty salon namely Asma Bibi that Mehak did not come to the beauty salon.  Aurangzaib told this fact to his father Pervaiz Masih upon which both father and son started searching for Mehak Bibi but she was not found.  Pervaiz Masih approached to the concerned police and submitted an application for the kidnapping of her daughter but no immediate action was taken by the police for the recovery of her daughter.   Later on January 21, 2023, with the intervention of some respectable of the locality an FIR No. 71/2023 under section 365-B of  the Pakistan Penal Code was registered against the unknown people at police station Zafar Wal District Narowal. 

Pervaiz Masih through a local social activist approached CLAAS for legal assistance for the recovery of Mehak.  CLAAS gave a legal opinion to him and agreed to legal assistance to Pervaiz Masih. On CLAAS query it was informed that his daughter is in the illegal custody of a Muslim boy living in Rawalpindi. He independently tried to recover his daughter from Rawalpindi but failed.

He further disclosed that he traced her daughter’s location through her mobile number which she is using and reached where the abductor kept her in confinement but unfortunately he escaped away from there with Mehak.  He asked the police to raid at the house of the boy where he was living on rent but the police did not cooperate with him. Pervaiz tried to talk with Mehak on her mobile and she told him that she got married after embracing Islam with her free will and consent.  On the other hand, Mehak’s parents claimed that their daughter is of minor age that cannot contract marriage.  He further disclosed that the concerned police is not cooperating with the victim’s family.  CLAAS advised to the victim party for filing of a writ petition in the Lahore High Court Lahore for the recovery missing girl and was further advised to approach the Deputy Superintendent of Police to get directions against the investigation officer.  Still, the girl is not found and the family has not received any documentation of the conversion and marriage of Mehak. The family is scared about their missing daughter.

The CLAAS team is in contact with the aggrieved family, today Pervaiz Masih informed us that he is busy at the funeral of his close relatives due to which he cannot meet with the DSP. After getting free from the funeral he will call to CLAAS for further proceedings.