LAHORE, Pakistan — An 18-year-old woman held captive for five months and forced to convert to Islam and marry has been recovered through the aid of a schoolteacher in a different province.
The media sources Christian Daily International and Morning Star News report that police rescued Sana Javed from Pakistan’s Balochistan province Nov. 14. A team from Christians’ True Spirit, which provided legal and financial aid in the family’s search for Sana, accompanied the police.
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Sana, who lives in Lahore in Punjab province, was taken captive June 9.
Apparently, Sana met on WhatsApp a woman who “emotionally blackmailed” her, said Sana’s father, Javed Masih. The woman convinced Sana to take a bus to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and then to Balochistan province.
At the destination, Sana was held hostage and forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man, Masih told the news services.
Answer to prayer
Masih, a Catholic, said the family asked pastors and churches to pray for Sana’s return. In October, the answer came when a Christian schoolteacher in Balochistan province called Masih with Sana’s whereabouts. Masih said a Muslim politician had received information about Sana and asked the teacher to find Sana’s family.
Pakistan is No. 7 on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
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