Pressured conversions—two phrases that burn like acid for Pakistan’s minorities. For years, this wound has been bleeding quietly, with barely a bandage of justice to cowl it. Since 2011, the wave has been unmistakable and brutal: Christians and Hindus, usually the poorest of the poor, are dragged from their houses and stripped of their religion. What started with the abduction of ladies—younger, defenseless, their lives stolen to grow to be brides of males sufficiently old to be their fathers—has morphed into one thing larger, one thing extra terrifying.
As soon as, the epicenter of this horror was Sindh. The title Mian Mithu turned synonymous with worry; clerics like him overtly flaunted their energy, changing total Hindu communities in broad daylight whereas authorities appeared away. Households crumbled, and temples emptied, however nobody in energy appeared to care.
Now, this plague has unfold to Punjab. Sargodha—a metropolis that must be identified for its orchards—has grow to be one other stage for this nightmare. Right here, not solely ladies however entire Christian households face relentless strain to desert their religion. Threats seep into their lives like poison: “Convert or lose all the pieces.” The state stands mute whereas the wave of pressured Islamization rolls on.
Shamraiz Masih‘s Case:
And within the midst of this storm stands Shamraiz Masih.
In Sultan City, Sargodha, 14-year-old Shamraiz Masih disappeared on July 21, 2025. After his father’s demise 4 months earlier, Shamraiz had began work as an apprentice at a bike restore store owned by Rana Munir. His household looked for him, and ultimately discovered he was taken to Madina Ghausia Madrassa. There, they had been informed he had “willingly transformed” to Islam and was now not a part of their household.
Legal professional advocate Chaudhry confirmed the pressured conversion. The household filed an abduction case. Munir was later named as the primary suspect. On July 22, an software appeared in courtroom underneath the title Muhammad Umar, claiming Shamraiz was 15, had transformed of his personal free will, and that the kidnapping case was false.
The courtroom session in Sargodha by no means noticed Shamraiz. Police produced a doc exhibiting he had already recorded an announcement in a Lahore courtroom on July 24, away from his household. In keeping with Chaudhry, this was carried out intentionally to forestall him from seeing his mom and brothers, fearing he may reveal the reality.
The legal professional says Munir transformed the boy to maintain him in everlasting bondage. Efforts to contain native Muslim leaders failed. Christian lawmakers raised the case within the Punjab Meeting, condemning the act and demanding authorities intervention.
Shamraiz’s case will not be an remoted incident; it’s the scream of hundreds who’ve been silenced. Each pressured conversion is an act of violence—not simply towards a person, however towards the concept of spiritual freedom itself.
The federal government of Pakistan should take pressing and concrete steps to finish the apply of pressured conversions, notably these involving underage youngsters. The Structure of Pakistan acknowledges 18 because the authorized age of maturity, granting residents the best to vote solely after reaching this age.
Nevertheless, relating to non secular conversion, there isn’t a authorized age restrict, leaving minors susceptible to exploitation and coercion. This contradiction not solely undermines the nation’s authorized framework but additionally exposes numerous youngsters to abuse underneath the guise of spiritual freedom. Setting a transparent minimal age for conversion, coupled with strict enforcement and penalties for violators, is crucial to guard the rights of minority youngsters and uphold the ideas of justice and equality assured by the Structure.
