Eleven US lawmakers, led by Chris Smith, have urged Pakistan to protect Neha Faqir's safety and fundamental rights.
Faqir allegedly disappeared in March and was later found at a Lahore madrassa, where she was reported to have converted to Islam, according to Christian Solidarity International.
The lawmakers have called for independent legal counsel, private communication with her family and judicial proceedings free from intimidation or undue influence.
A bipartisan group of 11 US Congressmen have urged Islamabad to protect the fundamental rights of a Pakistani Christian woman who was allegedly kidnapped and converted to Islam.
Congressman Chris Smith, the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, asked the Pakistan government to protect the safety and fundamental rights of Neha Faqir, an 18-year-old Pakistani Christian woman, who was allegedly abducted in March and subsequently converted to Islam.
Who Is Neha Faqir And What Happened To Her?
A Pakistani court has rejected a petition brought by Faqir’s family seeking her return.
"The circumstances surrounding Neha Faqir’s disappearance and subsequent conversion raise profoundly troubling questions about her safety, freedom of religion, and ability to exercise her rights without coercion or intimidation,” said Smith.
Smith and ten other members of Congress sent a letter to Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, expressing concerns over Faqir’s case and urging “the Government of Pakistan to take appropriate action to ensure a just resolution of this matter.” In the letter, the lawmakers urged Pakistani authorities to take the necessary steps within their judicial system to ensure Faqir’s physical safety and well-being, and that she has confidential access to independent legal counsel.
What Are US Lawmakers Asking Pakistan To Do?
They also asked Pakistan to ensure that Faqir has an opportunity to communicate freely and privately with her family; and ensure that any further judicial proceedings are conducted under conditions that allow her to express her wishes freely and without intimidation or undue influence.
“Pakistan’s Constitution protects religious freedom and equality before the law—but this means little if a young woman cannot safely and freely express her own beliefs,” Smith said.
“This case is particularly important for Pakistan’s religious minorities, who have been subject to abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage.” Christian Solidarity International brought international scrutiny to Faqir’s case on June 10, reporting that she disappeared on March 24 after attending a sewing course.
Faqir was later found at a madrassa in Lahore, where she had been converted to Islam.
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, bipartisan body of the United States House of Representatives had earlier noted in a post on X, “Neha Faqir, an 18-year-old Pakistani Christian, disappeared in March. Her abduction, subsequent reported conversion to Islam, and the denial of private access to her family during court proceedings have raised serious concerns about coercion, due process, and religious freedom.”
Neha Faqir, the third of four children born to the Christian couple from Punjab province, had been attending a sewing center run by a local Muslim family for two months. Her parents, who live and work in a brick kiln settlement, had enrolled her there to learn a skill and gain some economic independence, a statement by Christian Solidarity International said.
