Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has reiterated his objections to legislation barring underage marriages, announcing he will lead nationwide protests against it.
President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 into law on Friday, setting the minimum age for marriage in the federal capital at 18 years. The legislation has criminalized the solemnization of marriages where either the boy or girl is underage, imposing prison terms and fines for Nikah khuwan who conducts marriages involving minors.
Prior to its passage, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had objected to the bill, claiming Islamic jurisprudence permits the marriage of girls after they attain puberty, regardless of age. The bill’s supporters argue it protects the rights of children and prevents the exploitation of underage individuals, particularly women.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the JUIF chief alleged the bill was enacted under “foreign pressure” and was against Pakistan’s identity as an Islamic nation. “The U.N.’s stance is being used to pass laws against early age marriages. The president is also refusing to sign the religious seminaries bill,” he said, though that bill was signed in December 2024.
Accusing the underage marriage of being against the Quran and Sunnah, he claimed such actions “empowered” the narratives of Islamist terrorists. “The bottom line is that hurdles are being placed in the way of legitimate marriage while ease is being created for fornication,” he said, noting the CII had supported his view.
He said his party would present its viewpoint to the world in its protests.
Thus far, just Sindh and the federal capital have a minimum marriage age of 18. The rest of the country has set the minimum age of marriage for boys at 18 years old and for girls 16 years old.