A minor Christian girl who was allegedly abducted from her residence in Multan two months ago and forcibly married to a 28-year-old man has managed to escape from the custody of abductors and reunite with her family, but her struggle for justice is still continuing with hope and determination.
“On March 13, 2024, my parents were at their job, and I was alone at home when Muazzam Mazhar stormed into my home along with two accomplices. They dragged me into a van parked outside the home and took me to an unknown location,” 13-year-old Roshni Shakeel said.
“I don’t know about the area where they (the abductors) kept me. I was brutally tortured in their captivity, and they forced me to sign a few documents as well,” she explained.
Roshni said that her father, Shakeel Masih, filed a petition at the Multan Bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on March 18, seeking her recovery, but she was under immense pressure from the abductors, due to which she had to give a statement in their favor. “The abductors threatened to kill my parents, which compelled me to say before the court that I was willingly married to Muazzam,” she claimed.
She said, “I feel so lucky that I managed to escape, and finally I am with my parents and siblings. I also tried to escape a month ago, but I couldn’t succeed, and they badly tortured me for the attempt,” she added.
Roshni claimed that one day she heard Muazzam talking to someone on the phone about selling her; after that, she gathered courage and managed to escape from his captivity.
On Thursday, May 23, 2024, Roshni approached the court with the faith that justice would be ensured. She filed two petitions at District and Session Court Multan, one against a fake Nikkah certificate that was produced before the court by her alleged abductor and the second under Article 22-A.
Despite being so young, she seems to be fully confident, and the shine in her eyes indicates that she will leave no stone unturned to get justice from the court.
Minority rights activist Joseph Jansen lauded the courage of a minor girl who managed to escape from captivity and expressed hope that the victim would get justice.
Women Rights Activist Nadia Stephen said that no one can realize the pain and grief of poor parents whose underage girl spent months in captivity with a 28-year-old man. “I believe the girl will get justice,” she added.