Aneeqa was only thirteen years old when her family reported that she had disappeared from Sheikhupura on 29 December 2025.
According to her parents, Aneeqa had been abducted from the area, prompting police to register First Information Report (FIR) No. 3568/25 at Sadar Sheikhupura Police Station under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Soon after her disappearance, the accused, Muhammad Aslam, claimed that Aneeqa had voluntarily converted to Islam and married him.
Her family firmly rejected those claims, insisting that their daughter was only thirteen years old and therefore legally incapable of consenting to either marriage or religious conversion.
With few resources to pursue the case on their own, the family sought legal assistance from The EDGE Foundation.
The Foundation immediately arranged legal representation and supported the filing of a constitutional petition before the Lahore High Court, seeking Aneeqa’s recovery.
During the proceedings, lawyers presented Aneeqa’s official NADRA birth records and other documentary evidence confirming that she was a minor.
After examining the evidence, the Lahore High Court rejected the claim that Aneeqa had voluntarily converted to Islam or entered into a valid marriage. The Court reaffirmed the principle that a child cannot legally consent to marriage or religious conversion and ordered the authorities to recover Aneeqa immediately.
The Court also directed police to arrest the accused and place him in judicial custody.
On 12 January 2026, Aneeqa was safely recovered and reunited with her parents, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty and anguish for the family.
Following her recovery, the legal proceedings continued.
Aneeqa appeared before the Magistrate Court in Sheikhupura, where her statement was recorded and she underwent a medical examination. Following the medical report, additional charges relating to rape were added to the First Information Report, and the investigation was transferred to the Gender Cell for further investigation.
Police later completed their investigation and submitted the challan before the Sessions Court.
The legal case continued when the accused filed a post-arrest bail application before the Sessions Court on 2 February 2026.
Lawyers representing The EDGE Foundation opposed the application, again relying on Aneeqa’s birth certificate and other official documents confirming that she was only thirteen years old at the time of the alleged offences.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Court dismissed the bail application on 11 February 2026. The accused was taken into custody from the court premises and remains in judicial custody while the criminal trial continues.
In June 2026, the accused filed another post-arrest bail petition before the Lahore High Court.
The EDGE Foundation continued to represent Aneeqa and opposed the application during proceedings on 16 June 2026, maintaining that the documentary evidence and the seriousness of the allegations justified the continuation of judicial custody while the trial proceeds.
Aneeqa’s case has become an important example of how timely legal intervention and documentary evidence can protect vulnerable children from unlawful marriage and alleged forced religious conversion. It also demonstrates the critical role of judicial oversight in ensuring that official records establishing a child’s age are given proper weight during legal proceedings.
For child rights advocates, the case represents an encouraging example of the courts recognising that a minor cannot legally consent to marriage or religious conversion. Human rights organisations continue to argue that consistent enforcement of this principle is essential to protecting vulnerable children and preventing similar cases in the future.