The Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025, which clearly bans marriage under 18, has been sparking strong reactions from religious groups, but despite the President’s assent to the Bill, they do not seem to be backing down on the issue. A countrywide protest has been announced by religious groups after Eid.
REPORT SUMMARY from GORK:
The Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025, which bans marriage under 18 in Islamabad, has been signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari, sparking polarized reactions.
Religious groups, including Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), led by figures like Liaqat Baloch and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, have condemned the law as un-Islamic, arguing it contradicts Sharia principles that prioritize puberty over a fixed age for marriage. They claim the law was passed hastily under foreign influence and violates Pakistan’s Islamic identity. These groups, supported by the Council of Islamic Ideology’s stance, have announced nationwide protests after Eid.
Conversely, human rights activists and women’s rights advocates, such as Khawar Mumtaz and Sharmila Faruqui, who tabled the bill, hail it as a vital step to protect children, particularly girls, from exploitation. They argue that setting the marriage age at 18 aligns with constitutional guarantees of equality and justice, citing Articles 25(1) and 25(2), and protects vulnerable groups from abuse.
The law imposes strict penalties:
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Nikah registrars failing to verify identity documents face up to one year in prison, a 100,000-rupee fine, or both.
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Men marrying girls under 18 face two to three years of rigorous imprisonment.
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Child marriage is classified as child abuse, carrying five to seven years in prison and a one-million-rupee fine.
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Parents or guardians arranging underage marriages face three years in prison and fines.
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Forcing children to leave their area for marriage is treated as child trafficking, with five to seven years imprisonment.
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Courts can issue restraining orders and must resolve cases within 90 days.
The law applies only in Islamabad, highlighting a jurisdictional limit amid the ongoing clash between religious objections and human rights advocacy.
– voicepk.net, June 2, 2025
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