Changes between two versions
What changed between the resolution motion and the resolution motion joint
From · resolution motion· 6 Jul 2026
on the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage of Maria Shahbaz and the protection of minor girls in Pakistan
To · resolution motion joint· 8 Jul 2026
on the abduction, forced conversion and child marriage of Maria Shahbaz and the protection of girls in Pakistan
These two texts have too little in common to compare paragraph by paragraph: they are different documents rather than versions of one (for example one group’s motion and the joint text that was adopted).
Changes to the text itself, in document order. Cover page, citations and punctuation-only edits are left out; they are under “Every difference”.
The changes · 2
Change 1
Changed:A. whereas onMaria 29Shahbaz, Julya 2025Christian Mariagirl Shahbazfrom Lahore, was abducted13 inwhen Lahore,she was abducted and forced to convert to Islam and consequently forced to marry her captor;abductor; whereas despite her family producing a birth certificate showing Maria to be 14-years-old , the Lahore High Court overruledmaintains anthat earlierher decisionstatements bywere themade Faisalabadunder Sessionsduress and District court to place her incoercion; awhereas women’sdespite shelter,documentary subsequentlyevidence forcingconfirming her tominority returnstatus toand herfalsified captor;marriage whereasdocuments, Mariain managedMarch to2026 escapePakistan’s fromFederal theConstitutional homeCourt ofupheld her captorconversion and shemarriage and ordered her familyto areremain currentlywith inher hiding;abductor;
Change 2
Removed:whereas Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world;
Added:B. whereas there is a persistent and well-documented pattern in Pakistan of abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of underage girls from Hindu, Christian and other religious minorities; whereas poverty and marginalisation heighten girls’ vulnerability;
Removed:whereas each year in Pakistan, roughly 1,000 young girls, many of whom are Christians, are kidnapped from their homes, many of whom are later forcibly converted to Islam and married against their will;
Added:C. whereas the Pakistani Government recently proposed a national framework to end child marriage aimed at strengthening the protection of minors; whereas legislation against child marriage raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 years was adopted in some provinces, which, however, lack enforcement;
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Removed:whereas courts have repeatedly rejected cases where the girls’ parents tried to annul the marriage and free them from their suffering, among others by producing evidence that the girls were underage; whereas the courts often granted custody of the girls back to the man, continuing the plight of the girls and effectively cutting of ties with the girls’ family;
Added:1. Strongly condemns the abduction, forced conversion to Islam, child marriage and ruling in the case of Maria Shahbaz, and similar abuses of underage girls from religious minorities in Pakistan;
Removed:whereas in Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country, legal decisions are often based on differences between civil law and Islamic law, which does not stipulate a fixed minimum age for marriage and permits it upon reaching puberty;
Added:2. Calls on the Pakistani Government to ensure that all cases involving minors or allegations of coercion are investigated transparently and independently and to ensure the effective prosecution of perpetrators and safe return of abducted girls;
Removed:whereas Pakistani laws against child marriage criminalise the act and provide penalties for those who marry a minor, but whereas those laws do not affect the legal validity of marriages involving minors; whereas these laws lack enforcement;
Added:3. Calls on the Pakistani authorities to ensure the immediate protection of Maria Shahbaz, to grant her access to legal representation, independent psychological support and to her family, and to conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial review of her case, fulling respecting due process and the best interests of the child and allowing human rights organisations to independently monitor her situation;
Removed:Calls on the Pakistani authorities to ensure the effective protection of Christian communities and other religious minorities, in particular girls at risk of abduction, forced Islamisation and forced marriage, through effective prevention measures, prompt investigations, and access to justice;
Added:4. Urges the Pakistani judiciary to uphold the rule of law and ensure that any proceedings involving girls from minorities are conducted without external pressure, intimidation or coercion; emphasises the need for structured capacity-building within the judiciary in that regard;
Removed:Calls on the Pakistani authorities to ensure the immediate protection of Maria Shahbaz and to conduct a thorough, transparent, and impartial review of her case, with full respect for due process and the best interests of the child;
Added:5. Welcomes the legislative steps taken in some provinces against child marriage and urges Pakistan to adopt and fully implement the national framework to end child marriage and to implement and enforce the provincial legislation; calls on other provinces to adopt and implement equivalent legislation;
Removed:Calls on the Pakistani government to ensure the immediate and safe return of the abducted girls to their families of origin and to prosecute to the fullest extent those who use forced conversion as a cover for the crime of abduction;
Added:6. Encourages Pakistan to create a national mechanism for handling complaints from families of abducted or forcibly converted girls from minorities, and calls for comprehensive support for victims; calls for addressing the root causes of forced marriage and conversion and for targeted protection measures for girls from minorities facing discrimination, with particular attention paid to accessing education and social protection;
Removed:Calls on Pakistan to establish a national mechanism to investigate complaints concerning abducted or forcibly converted minors from religious minority communities;
Added:7. Calls for the EU and the Member States to systematically raise the issue of forced conversions and marriages and the protection of religious minorities in bilateral dialogues with Pakistan, including within the framework of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus monitoring;
Removed:Calls on the European Commission and the EEAS to systematically raise the protection of religious minorities, forced conversions, and child marriages in all bilateral dialogues with Pakistan, including under the GSP+ monitoring framework;
Removed:Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Government and Parliament of Pakistan, and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.