UN Concerned by Forced Conversions in Pakistan

United Nations experts have expressed serious concern over the continued and widespread patterns of abduction and forced religious conversion through marriage affecting women and girls from minority communities in Pakistan. In 2025, approximately 75 percent of victims were Hindu and 25 percent Christian, with nearly 80 percent of incidents occurring in Pakistan — Sindh province. Adolescent girls between 14 and 18 are particularly targeted. The United Nations has urged Pakistan to intensify efforts to eradicate forced conversions, raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 in all provinces, criminalize forced religious conversion, and enforce laws against human trafficking and sexual violence. Concerns were also raised about law enforcement authorities dismissing complaints and failing to investigate cases properly.