Pakistan’s Parliament passed an important bill on Monday (May 19) aimed at suppressing, blocking and ultimately eradicating child marriages in the federal capital by raising the legal age of men and women to 2018.
Sharmila Faruqui of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) introduced the bill in the parliament on Friday (May 16), and the House members unanimously approved it. PPP Sen. Shelley Lehman introduced the bill in the Senate on Monday (May 19th). It passed despite strong protests and strikes by Islamic Party member Jamiat Ulema i Islamic Fazl (JUI-F).
Senator JUI-F called the bill “non-Islamic,” and called it a conflict with cultural and religious values and called for it to be sent to the Islamic Ideology Council (CII) for review. However, the majority members argued that it had already been approved by the CII and that similar laws were in good condition for over a decade in Sindh.
The bill was sent to President Asif Ali Zardari for his consent. Once the law is signed, it applies only to the federal capital, Islamabad, and only the district and session courts will handle the relevant cases. The Child Marriage Binding Act of 1929 no longer applies to federal capitals after the enforcement of the law, but all previous orders, decisions and judgments made under that law are still considered valid.
“In this modern age and age, there is always resource and research to prove that child marriage is harmful to both genders and adolescence and to girls who can have children,” the bill says. “In addition, child marriage is a complete violation of child rights, and the UN international obligations and the Sustainable Development Goals of Goal 5 focus on gender equality and includes the goal of ending child marriage by 2030. Therefore, it is possible to announce ect laws to curb child marriage and protect the fundamental rights of children.”
The bill defines children as boys or girls under the age of 18, and states that if any of the individuals are under the age of 18, the Nika (Islamic marriage) registrar (attorney) is not permitted to strictly sole marriage.
Registrars must also verify and verify the age of both parties using a national database and a computerized national ID card (CNIC) issued by the Registration Agency (NADRA).
According to the law, if the registrar violates this law, they can face a prison for up to one year and a fine of 100,000 Pakistani Rupees (USD 354).
The bill says men over the age of 18 who marry a minor girl could face tough imprisonment for up to three years.
“Living with a child under the age of 18 in a marital relationship is considered statutory rape,” the bill states.
Furthermore, the law emphasizes that anyone who enforces a child can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to 1 million Pakistani rupee (USD 3,540).
“The same punishment applies to those involved in child trafficking for the purposes of marriage.”
The bill also criminalized Abetta and his accomplices, saying, “People who support arranging child marriages could be sentenced to up to three years in prison and could be fined.”
It also states that parents or guardians who do not stop at marriage with or are involved in marriage with children may also face severe prison terms and fines of up to three years.
According to the law, courts have the power to stop child marriages if notified in time, and the law also guarantees protection for whistleblowers who wish to remain anonymous.
The new law also denied bail to the perpetrator of a minor marriage crime, detained the court and completed the trial within 90 days.
“Major Step”
After the Senate approved the bill, Senator Lehman took him to X to celebrate what he called a big step towards protecting children’s rights.
“Today’s Landmark Day for Pakistan Senators! I’m proud of @PPP_org and all parties involved, including allies and opposition, to support the Child Marriage Bill,” she wrote. “This is the third time this house has passed this bill in one form or form. I praised @seharkamran for moving this bill before moving it again in the Senate, which was passed again in 2019, but neither of our bills were moved or passed.
In praise of the proposed law, Christian Ejaz Alam Augustine, a member of Punjab Assembly, said it was a revolutionary step for the protection of children, especially girls, in terms of health, education and life.
“We welcome the passage of the bill and hope that the anti-child marriage bill, which has been held in Punjab Parliament for over a year, will also be introduced for the vote,” Augustine told Christian Daily International Morning Star News. “The law is also important to protect minor Christian girls from the tragedy of forced faith conversion, as perpetrators acquiring minor girls and misuse religion to marry them.”
The bill is pending in Punjab Parliament since April 25, 2024, and aims to increase the legal age of marriages for both boys and girls to 18 years in Punjab. With approval of the bill pending, the minimum age for a girl to marry is still 16 years old. Nationally, the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act sets the age at which Christians can marry at 18 years old. If they convert to Islam, the girl is thought to be Muslims under Sharia (Islamic law).
Usually, a tempted girl in Pakistan is accused of young people as young as 10 years old, converted to Islam, raped under a hidden gem of Islamic “marriage” and pressured to record false statements in favour of the temptator, rights advocates say. The judge routinely ignores documentary evidence related to the age of a child and returns the temptation to the temptation as a “legal wife.”
Noting that Pakistan often suffers from poor implementation of the law after it was passed, Augustine, who previously served as the Minister of Human Rights and Ethnic Minority Affairs in Punjab, highlighted the need for a community-based clock committee to ensure effective enforcement for local representatives, human rights activists and citizens.
Pakistan, a Muslim with a population of 96%, ranked 8th on the 2025 World Watchlist, the hardest place to become a Christian.
