by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A 12-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan’s Punjab Province was abducted from her home last month by three Islamists who threatened to sell her into slavery, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Ariha Gulzar of Chak 55/2L village in Okara District, Punjab Province, was kidnapped at gun point on Jan. 20 by a 40-year-old neighbor known Saajhu Baloch, and two accomplices after they forced their way into their home, MSN reports.
The girl’s family have pleaded for her release, and the police claim they cannot find her, MSN reports. Moreover, Ariha’s father, Gulzar Masih, has said the family does not have the finances needed to file a prosecution. “Baloch is a known criminal of our area while we are very poor and weak people,” Masih told MSN. “We didn’t have the resources to bribe the police or go to court, so we tried to recover Ariha through Baloch’s family. We visit the police station every day with the hope that we will get some information about our child, but so far there’s no breakthrough,” Masih said.
“Baloch may also sell Ariha to sex traffickers if the police don’t act fast and recover her,” Masih added. “I appeal the government to ensure my daughter’s protection and safe recovery as well as stern punishment for all those who have violated her.”
In a current website report about the situation facing Christian girls in Pakistan, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization states: “The number of Christian girls (and those from other minority religions) abducted, abused and forcefully converted to Islam (frequently backed by lower courts) is growing.”
Ruled by an Islamic government that has not stopped Christian girls from being abducted by Islamist extremists, Pakistan ranks 8 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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