The family of a Christian Pakistani teenager is seeking justice after she was abducted from her home and forced into a marriage with a Muslim man. Muskan Elisia, a 15-year-old student in Sindh, Pakistan, was kidnapped on the morning of March 11, 2024, and has not been located.
Prior to the abduction, Elisia had been threatened and harassed by a young man in her community, Arsalan Ali. Elisia’s brother Danish Saleem said Elisia often complained to her mother about Ali, who regularly offered unwanted marriage proposals to her on her way to school. Elisia expressed her disdain for Ali but did not know how to stop him.
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“My mother visited Ali’s house to address the elders about his harassment and the distress it was causing our family,” said Saleem. “He was warned not to repeat his behavior by his family. They even warned him in front of my mother. At that time, his family assured us that their son would not act out again.”
But despite the family’s promises, the problems continued, culminating in Elisia’s disappearance.
Her father, Salman Masih, believes she was abducted sometime in the early hours of the morning of March 11, possibly between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
“My grandfather woke up around 5:30 am and noticed her door open and her bed empty,” said Masih. “He hurriedly awoke all of us, distraught.”
Elisia’s family immediately reported her absence to the police, explaining the harassment by Ali, but authorities did not register the complaint right away. They stated they would do so after an initial investigation, but the police did not report to the alleged crime scene quickly.
“We anxiously awaited the arrival of the police to search for our daughter in Arsalan’s house, but they did not arrive as promised,” said Masih. “We went to them again, pleading for them to help, but they once more made excuses and said they would come in the afternoon. So we waited until afternoon, and the police never came. The delay in their action provided the culprits with ample time to take measures to ensure they wouldn’t be caught.”
By the time police finally investigated Ali’s house, all the male members of his family had fled. Masih is doubtful if any of the female family members present were interrogated, and believes their complaint was purposefully delayed.
Police have arrested one facilitator linked to Ali, who confessed Elisia had been with them initially, but was handed over to another group of the religious clergy the day before.
Elisia’s family was also shown documents indicating she had purportedly accepted Islam and married Ali. A letter stated Elisia’s name had been changed to a Muslim one after the marriage, and her date of birth was altered to depict her as a 20-year-old adult and legitimize the union. The papers also state she converted to Islam out of her own free will.
“The documents with tampered and incorrect dates were fabricated by the accused local abductor to legalize the acts of abduction, rape, and forced conversion,” said Masih. “We are deeply concerned about Muskan’s safety and urgently appeal to the authorities to seek justice for her. We plead for her liberation and implore them to help us overcome the mental trauma that has engulfed our family.”
A local activist, asking to remain anonymous, shared with Global Christian Relief that the Sindhi government has a law against child marriages on the books, but has lacked implementation. A proposed law against forced conversions was ultimately withdrawn from the Sindh Assembly due to pressure from religious groups.
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James Jacob is a writer for Global Christian Relief (GCR), America’s leading watchdog organization focused on the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide. In addition to equipping the Western church to advocate and pray for the persecuted, GCR works in the most restrictive countries to protect and encourage Christians threatened by faith-based discrimination and violence.
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