Report: ANI Reporter:
Islamabad/ New York– Former Federal Minister for Minority Affairs Akram Masih Gill has called for a review of the Federal Constitutional Court’s decision in the case of Maria, a minor Christian girl whose marriage to a Muslim man, Shehryar, was declared valid.
Speaking at a meeting in New York with Bishop Yousaf Nadeem Binder, former MPA Parvez Rafiq, Pastor Robin Yamin and Azhar Abdullah, Gill expressed concern over the ruling and urged that the case be reopened in the interest of justice.
Gill said the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, which sets the minimum marriage age at 18, should be taken into consideration. He maintained that a minor girl cannot be regarded as legally or mentally mature enough to independently decide on conversion and marriage, particularly where allegations of abduction are involved.
He urged the court to review the matter to ensure protection of minors and fulfilment of the requirements of justice.
