A 14-year-old schoolgirl met with members of the European Parliament in Brussels in a bid to highlight claims of human rights abuses against Christians in Pakistan.

Hannah Chowdhry, who attends Kantor King Solomon High School, in Ilford, says thousands of girls of similar age to her are at risk of rape and kidnap – because they are Christian.

She said: "The average age of victims is 13 but many can be younger than this. I am now 14 and when I think about what these vulnerable girls have been through it makes me shudder.

"I have written to the High Commissioner of Pakistan several times asking for him to help these girls, but have never received any response.”

Accompanied by her father Wilson Chowdhry, who is chairman of the BPCA (British Pakistani Christian Association), Hannah met with MEPs from a range of political parties, including UKIP MEPs Nathan Gill and Jim Carver, Irish MEP Maired McGuiness, who is first vice president for the EU, and Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party) who is south Asian delegate for the EU.

She told of how Christian girls were often entrapped by friends at school who had been actively involved in planning their kidnaps leading to forced Islamic marriage.

Mr Gill, who has made a short video highlighting the plight of Christians in Pakistan, which has been shared on social media, will now raise questions in the European Parliament highlighting human rights abuses. They include claims that Christians and Ahmadis are being jailed under false blasphemy charges, and that draconian laws targeting non-Muslims are being used to settle personal scores and usurp properties and employment roles.

Hannah and her father also had a tour of the EU building, took part in a demonstration and attended a prayer meeting with EU officials, lobbyists and MEPs.

Mr Chowdhry, said: "Though neither BPCA nor Hannah and I endorse any of the particular parties or European Parliamentary groups we have met we are pleased to know that there are MEP's that are concerned about human rights for minorities in Pakistan.

”Galvanizing support through so many different parties and individuals helps fuel better debate on how the EU navigates global relations with Pakistan and we hope they will use their influence to bring about necessary changes to improve the lives of millions of victims."