President Asif Ali Zardari has signed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, officially making it law. The legislation sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 for both boys and girls across Pakistan.
Under the new law, no Nikah khuwan will be allowed to solemnize a marriage if either party is underage. Violators may face up to one year in jail and a fine of Rs. 100,000.
Additionally, any adult man who marries a girl under 18 may be sentenced to up to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The law further empowers courts to take action upon receiving information about a possible underage marriage.
Courts can issue orders to stop such marriages and are obligated to keep the informant’s identity confidential while ensuring their protection.
The bill was originally introduced in the National Assembly by PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui and later tabled in the Senate by Senator Sherry Rehman.
However, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) opposed the bill, declaring it contrary to Islamic teachings. “The CII at its meeting termed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill which was moved by Sharmila Faruqui MNA in the National Assembly as un-Islamic,” said an official statement issued by the council.
Despite CII’s objections, the law is now in effect, marking a major legal step toward ending child marriage in Pakistan.