In a dramatic rescue operation, an 18-year-old Christian girl from Lahore, Pakistan, was saved from a forced marriage to an elderly Muslim man.

Sana Javed was reunited with her family on November 14 after five months of captivity, where she was forced into marriage and conversion, The Christian Post reported.

Sana Javed, the youngest of seven siblings, vanished on June 9 after visiting a local shop in Lahore. The disappearance of Javed, a Christian, soon spiraled into a distressing ordeal that involved forced religious conversion and marriage.

Javed Masih, her father, only discovered her location months later through a helpful tip-off. This call finally came in mid-October after a frustrating period filled with unanswered questions and police inactivity.

The tip that led to Javed’s location came from a fellow Christian living in Balochistan Province. Masih recounted receiving the critical phone call that marked the beginning of his daughter’s recovery: “Our frantic search for her ended in mid-October.”

Investigative Challenges and Police Inaction

Despite Javed’s father’s efforts to report her missing, the initial police response was disappointing. The disappearance report was misplaced by the police just three days after her vanishing, leading to delays when action was crucial.

A new report was eventually filed, yet the police showed a lack of initiative. They frequently asked the distressed family to provide investigative leads, overlooking their limited resources and knowledge.

“He would instead ask us to provide leads for the investigation, when in fact we neither had the information nor the resources,” Masih expressed his frustration with the police’s approach.

A Breakthrough in the Case

Desperate for any assistance, Masih reached out to multiple churches and eventually connected with Christians’ True Spirit (CTS), a Christian paralegal group. Through their coordination, the network facilitated communication that proved pivotal in locating Sana.

The details of Sana’s ordeal began to surface. She was forcibly kept at Hafsa's house in Balochistan, altogether stripped of her freedom and communication devices.

Masih painfully recalls how his daughter was manipulated into leaving her safe environment: "Sana told us that the girl emotionally blackmailed and forced her to meet in person without her family’s knowledge,” he shared.

Forced Conversion and Marriage

While held captive, Sana was subjected to a coerced conversion to Islam, a process solemnized by the recitation of the Kalima, an Islamic proclamation of faith. She was then married off to Hafsa’s elderly uncle under duress, a tactic reinforced with threats of violence if she resisted.

“They said they would kill me if I did not obey their order,” Sana reported about the dire threats she received from those who held her captive.

This narrative was compounded by her daunting journey into captivity, directed to travel alone across provinces right into the hands of her captors. “She even sent her money and directed her to board a bus to Dera Ismail Khan,” said Masih, outlining the planned abduction that spanned vast distances.

Crucial Roles in Sana’s Rescue

The turning point in Sana’s rescue came with the intervention of a local Muslim politician and Waseem, a Christian schoolteacher. Both played essential roles by employing their influence and resources to orchestrate her release.

“I do not know the man’s name, but God used him to rescue our daughter from captivity,” Masih acknowledged the unnamed politician’s pivotal role in the successful operation.

Ultimately, their efforts led to the captor agreeing to sign an affidavit of divorce, officially freeing Sana from the forced marital ties. “I cannot express my gratitude for the Baloch political leader and Waseem, the schoolteacher, who not only helped us in rescuing Sana but also forced her ‘husband’ to sign an affidavit of divorce,” affirmed Masih.

A reunited Sana Javed is now back with her family, recovering from her months-long trauma, while her community continues to rally around her, ensuring her safe readjustment to her life at home.