4,June,2025

In a landmark legislative move towards safeguarding the rights and futures of young girls, Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously passed the (Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025) on Friday. This bill earlier tabled by the member of National Assembly (MNA) Miss; Sharmila Faruqui affiliated with Pakistan Peoples Party, the bill marks a significant departure from colonial-era legislation and aims to bring Islamabad’s marriage laws in line with modern principles of child protection, gender equality, and human rights.

The newly passed bill sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 years for both men and women within the Islamabad Capital Territory. This replaces the previous legal standard, which permitted girls to marry at 16 while maintaining the threshold of 18 for boys. The legislation squarely defines underage marriage as a criminal offense, with punishments extending up to seven years in prison for those involved in facilitating or coercing such unions including family members, clerics, and marriage registrars. Perhaps most strikingly, the bill declares that any sexual activity within a marriage involving a minor regardless of consent will be considered statutory rape. Additionally, any adult man found to have married a minor girl could face up to three years’ imprisonment, signaling a bold stand against the normalization of child marriage in Pakistani society.

Despite unanimous support in the National Assembly, the bill has not been without controversy. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional advisory body on Shariat matters, voiced its opposition following its 243rd session held on May 27–28, 2025. In a statement released by its Facebook page in such an informal way if it was passed by the some Madarsaa mindset, the Council deemed the bill “un-Islamic/Gair Sharie” citing that certain clauses particularly those fixing the minimum age of marriage and equating child marriage with abuse do not align with Islamic injunctions.

This is not the first time that religious interpretation has created friction but such type of friction between legal reform and religious interpretation already highlights the broader challenge Pakistan faces in reconciling progressive social policy with deeply rooted traditional norms. Nevertheless, the bill is already signed into law by the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, solidifying its legal standing.

Pakistan’s need for child marriage reform is not merely theoretical. it is deeply grounded in the country’s demographic, customs and social realities. According to a 2018 demographic survey, 29 percent of Pakistani girls are married by the age of 18, and 4 percent are wed before turning 15. In comparison, only 5 percent of boys are married before age 18. These numbers place Pakistan among the top ten countries globally in terms of the absolute number of women married before adulthood.

The consequences of such early unions are dire. Child brides are significantly more likely to drop out of school, face domestic abuse, and suffer severe health complications, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. Teenage mothers are at a much higher risk of developing obstetric fistulas, contracting sexually transmitted infections, or even facing maternal death risks that are markedly lower for women in their twenties.

The passing of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025is a pivotal step toward aligning Pakistan’s legal framework with international standards and progressive legislation on child rights and protection. It reflects a growing recognition within at least some segments of the state of the devastating impact child marriage has on individuals and society.

One important point to highlight is that it has consistently been the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its elected representatives—MNAs and MPAs—who have taken the initiative to introduce progressive legislation aimed at aligning national laws with international standards. Yet, true progress will depend not just on legislation but on education, community engagement, and the political will to enforce these laws against entrenched cultural practices. The bill has created momentum, but the journey toward eradicating child marriage in Pakistan will require collective resolve from lawmakers, religious leaders, civil society, and families alike.

In a country where tradition often collides with reform, the passage of this bill represents not just a legislative victory, but a moral stance a declaration that the children of Islamabad, and eventually all of Pakistan, deserve the right to a childhood free from coercion, abuse, and premature responsibility.