The policy paper analyzes the newly enacted Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025, which sets 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for all genders. It highlights the Act’s progressive legal reforms, such as stricter penalties, protection measures, and alignment with international human rights
The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) submitted an alternative report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of Pakistan’s 6th periodic review under the UNCRC. The report highlights key child rights concerns in Pakistan, focusing on child marriage, juvenile justice, and child
THE Supreme Court recently issued a verdict advocating equal rights in marriage. The verdict originated from an appeal filed by a divorced couple opposing the dower provisions in the nikahnama. The female petitioner had challenged an earlier Lahore High Court judgement, which maintained that entries in the nikahnama
ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025 marks a pivotal step toward a safer, progressive Pakistan KARACHI. Child rights organisations and advocates, along with concerned citizens, have warmly welcomed the passage of recent legislation on child marriages, describing it as a landmark step toward protecting the rights and well-being
In the quiet courtyards of rural Pakistan, a 13-year-old girl is pulled from her school desk and handed a bridal dress. Her childhood ends not with celebration, but with chores, early pregnancy, and a silence enforced by custom. This is not a regional anomaly; it is a national
CHILD marriage persists in Pakistan for many reasons, and ending the practice requires measures that are sensitive to the problem’s complexity. Debates on child marriage tend to reduce this complexity to two opposing legal positions. Proponents of gender equality and child welfare support higher minimum age limits for
SOME traditions that hinder individual progress are a heavy cross for society to bear. In Pakistan’s deeply patriarchal environment, where a female child’s agency is determined by her biological age, President Asif Zardari’s assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, despite resistance from the
“State of Human Rights in 2024” is a report of Human Right Commission of Pakistan, which provides a comprehensive overview of the human rights situation in Pakistan during the specified year at federal and provincial levels. The report highlights various issues such as a surge in violence, marked
PAKISTAN is unkind to its children. The NCRC’s State of Children in Pakistan Report 2024 scans the grim circumstances our young are forced to navigate, and spells out the systemic apathy towards their safety, health and progress. It asserts that the country faces tremendous difficulties in safeguarding the
The State of Children in Pakistan 2024 report is prepared under Sections 15 and 17 of the NCRC Act, 2017. It presents an evidence-based national assessment of children’s rights. The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) evaluates Pakistan’s compliance with national laws and international commitments, especially
The Punjab (Pakistan) 2024 MICS Key Findings Report provides insights into the well-being of children, women, and households, based on data from 45,000+ households. Launched by the Bureau of Statistics (BoS) Punjab with UNICEF’s support, the report aids policy decisions and SDG progress monitoring. Officials highlighted its role in
Despite improvements in education and awareness of rights, the tribal court system continues to mete out injustice across the country. The latest example of ‘elders’ proving that age does not always bring wisdom occurred in the rural Bhagwani Shumali area of Dera Ismail Khan in K-P. A local