Lahore: January 23, 2012. (CLAAS) A Christian girl who was abducted and forced to marry a Muslim man has returned to her family after 10 years. Nadia was just 15 years old when she was taken from the largely Catholic village of Marriamabad. Nadia’s parents turned to the police for help but as is often the case, they were intimidated by the kidnapper and instead leveled threats against the parents. Later, when her parents learned that Nadia had been forced to marry Muslim man Maqsood Ahmed, they went again to the police and this time a First Information Report was registered against him. Police however refused to arrest him and when Nadia was brought before the High Court in Lahore, she made a statement against her parents and in favour of her husband out of fear for the consequences to herself and her family if she told the truth. Life became almost unbearable for Nadia in the home of Maqsood, who beat her frequently and tried to make her convert her parents to Islam. She told us: “Maqsood made my life miserable. I was worried and feared that I will be killed because Maqsood came to know that I am not happy with him at his home. I am totally helpless and difficult to understand what to do next and am very much disheartened from Maqsood, who inhumanly spoiled my whole life. I am very much frightened and have threats against my life.” After 10 years, Nadia was able to escape from her husband and made it back to her parents’ home on 30 November 2011. However, Maqsood was not willing to let her go so easily and came to the home with a group of men and threatened to kill the family if Nadia did not return. He also threatened to take her younger sister by force. He has since returned to the house on a near daily basis, intimidating them and making threats. Other villagers have also begun to distance themselves from the family out of fear. Nadia’s mother, Permeela Bibi has turned to CLAAS for help and we have managed to put Nadia and her younger sister in a safe house. We are providing legal assistance to Nadia as she pursues criminal charges against Maqsood and a divorce.