A harrowing case of abduction, forced conversion, coerced marriage, and eventual murder has emerged from the village of Maliwal in Nankana Sahib, Punjab, involving Uzma Bibi, a 38-year-old Christian mother of six. According to her family, Uzma was abducted at gunpoint in December 2024, forcibly converted to Islam, married to her abductor, and later murdered. Her mutilated body was recovered five months later from a canal near Sheikhupura.

Uzma’s brother, Shahbaz Masih, told us that on the morning of December 21, 2024, three armed men—led by a local Muslim man named Sajid—stormed their home around 9:30 AM. “They fired shots, tied us up, and looted wedding jewellery and Rs. 100,000 in cash I had saved for my marriage,” he said. “Then they dragged Uzma away and locked us inside before fleeing in a white van.”

Uzma had come to visit her brother’s home after years of marital hardship. Sajid reportedly took her to a religious cleric and coerced her into converting to Islam. She was then forcibly married to Sajid, whom the family identifies as the main suspect. “Uzma never accepted the conversion or marriage willingly,” said Shahbaz. “She told us during brief secret calls that she was being tortured and desperately wanted to escape.”

Despite the severity of the crime, the family’s attempts to seek police intervention were met with negligence. An FIR was registered at Mangtawala Police Station, but only after persistent pressure and an alleged Rs. 25,000 bribe. Shahbaz was later threatened by Arshad, an associate of Sajid, who entered their home and warned him to withdraw the complaint. Even after Shahbaz disarmed Arshad and handed over the weapon to the police, no legal action was taken.
For nearly five months, Uzma remained in Sajid’s captivity. Her family had no access to her.

Then, on May 10, 2025, Shahbaz received a devastating call from local police: Uzma’s body had been found in a canal near the Badomali area. The body bore signs of torture and was initially treated as unclaimed. “The man who abducted my sister appeared at the police station and claimed she was his sister. He already knew my name and phone number. It was clearly premeditated,” said Shahbaz.

A second FIR was later lodged at Factory Area Police Station, Sheikhupura, under Section 302 (Murder). In his statement, Shahbaz alleged that Sajid had subjected Uzma to months of torture before killing her and dumping her body to conceal the crime.

Uzma’s sister, Parveen Bibi, described the accused as “extremely cunning.” “He murdered her and then pretended to cooperate with the police to avoid suspicion,” she added.

The family’s ordeal came to light after our partner organisation, which supports persecuted minorities in Pakistan, visited them in May 2025, documented the case, and provided legal support. Uzma’s case reflects the growing crisis of forced conversions and marriages of minority girls in Pakistan.

The case has sparked outrage among human rights circles and renewed calls for urgent legal reforms—particularly the enforcement of laws protecting religious minorities and women from coercion. Activists are urging the government to investigate the conduct of the police, prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law, and establish safeguards to prevent such atrocities.

As the case proceeds through the courts, Uzma’s grieving and impoverished family waits for justice—for a daughter, sister, and mother who became yet another victim in Pakistan’s ongoing crisis of religiously motivated violence.