Lahore, 18 September 2024 – In a distressing incident, a 16-year-old Christian girl, Diya was abducted from Chak No.126 GB Shehroana, Jaranwala district, Faisalabad. The abduction took place on 12th September, while Diya’s family was attending a relative’s wedding, leaving her and her sisters alone at home.

According to Shahida Bibi, Diya’s mother, three men—Ghazaal Jaat, Afzal Jaat, and Ramzan Jaat—stormed their house at gunpoint and abducted Diya. Neighbours reported seeing the abductors force Diya into a white van as she cried for help. Despite the family’s attempts to recover her through local contacts, they were unsuccessful, prompting them to file an FIR the next day at the Jaranwala City Police Station under section 365B of the Pakistan Penal Code.

A video statement later surfaced, showing Diya claiming that she had converted to Islam and married one of her abductors, Ghazaal Jut, of her own free will. However, her family remains adamant that the conversion and marriage were forced.

The Joseph family, who have five daughters, is devastated by the abduction. Diya is the eldest of the siblings. Both Joseph, Diya’s father, and Shahida Bibi work in factories, and all five daughters are enrolled in private tuition centre for their education.

The family’s anguish is compounded by the fact that one of Diya's abductors, Ghazaal Jut, had reportedly been involved in the Jaranwala riots of 2023, where a violent mob attacked Christian homes and churches.

This is not the first time tragedy has struck the Joseph family. In January 2023, Diya’s cousin, 15-year-old Samreen Aftab, was also abducted and forced to convert to Islam. Samreen, who was studying in 9th grade at the time, was taken by Muhammad Amir, a local resident, and married against her will. Despite the family’s efforts to rescue her, Samreen later filed a counter-complaint against her own family, claiming she had converted willingly and adopted the name Kaneez Fatima.

Samreen’s father, Aftab Joseph, expressed his frustration with the legal system, saying that local village councils often delay action in such cases, allowing time for forged conversion and marriage documents to be prepared. The case was eventually taken to the high court, but the decision remained unchanged, leaving the family heartbroken.

These incidents highlight the increasing number of abductions and forced conversions of Christian girls in Pakistan, sparking outrage among minority communities. Local activists claim that such cases are often framed as consensual love affairs to shield the perpetrators from legal consequences. This manipulation of the legal system has hindered justice for many victims, leaving families feeling helpless and betrayed.

The Joseph family is now calling on the Christian community and human rights organizations to help bring Diya back safely and ensure justice is served.