President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, fixing a minimum age for marriage at 18 within the confines of the federal capital.
Under the legislation, no individual can solemnize a marriage where one or both of the girl and boy are under the age of 18. Any Nikah Khawan found violating the law faces up to one year in prison and a fine of Rs. 100,000. Additionally, any adult man who marries an underage girl faces a sentence of up to three years’ rigorous imprisonment.
The law states that any court that becomes aware of an underage marriage can issue orders to prevent it. It further states that any informant in this regard can request to keep their identity confidential, and the court is obligated to provide this protection.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) MNA Sharmila Faruqui introduced the bill as a private member’s bill in the National Assembly earlier this month. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman subsequently presented it in the Senate. Despite its passage, the bill was opposed by religio-political parties, particularly the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), whose chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has hinted at protests against it. Amidst the controversy, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) also termed the bill against Islam, but said it opposed underage marriages.
In a statement, the CII claimed clauses of the legislation that fixed the age limit for marriage, declared marriage below 18 as child abuse, and criminalized the act did not conform to Islamic injunctions. Acknowledging issues caused by underage marriages, it said they should be discouraged but claimed this should be done through societal education rather than law.
Following President Zardari’s inking of the bill into law, Sherry Rehman thanked him for assenting to it despite pressure. “Proud moment for Pakistan,” she wrote on X. “Thank you to all the women and men who made this possible after a long journey of twists and turns,” she added.
Pakistan has the sixth highest number of child brides globally, with an estimated 19 million girls married before the age of 18. Nearly half of them became pregnant before reaching legal age, further hampering their ability to secure an education, with only 13% of married girls finishing secondary school compared to 44% of unmarried peers.