child marriage

SPARC State of Pakistan’s Children Report

“State of Children Report” is an annual publication produced by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), a non-governmental organization based in Pakistan. The report provides information on the situation of children in the country, covering various aspects such as health, education, violence against children, juvenile justice system, etc. The report is widely cited by…

Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 and Jinnah

The Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 was drafted by Quaid-i-Azam- Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Father of the Nation) and introduced by a Hindu, Rai Haridas Sarda, and is also known as the Sarda Bill. Jinnah was very concerned about the widespread child marriage in British India, which he considered a violation…

Bid To Smuggle Minor Girl Abroad Foiled

TOBA TEK SINGH: The Faisalabad FIA has foiled an attempt to traffic a minor girl to Saudi Arabia on August 16 through a fake marriage certificate. An FIA official said that during an immigration check at the Faisalabad International Airport, a minor passenger was stopped and profiled. During the examination…
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FSC Admits Punjab Child Marriage Challenge

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has removed an office objection to a petition challenging the legality of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2026, which sets 18 years as the minimum age for marriage in the country’s most populous province. The office had objected to the plea on the…
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NA Body Wants Nationwide Standard Age for Marriage

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on July 29 expressed concern over the different ages determined for marriage by the federal and provincial governments and directed the Ministry of Human Rights to adopt stringent measures to make the marriage age identical throughout the country by taking all provinces into confidence. The meeting…
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Minor Girl Married with Octogenarian; BMP Register Case

DERA GHAZI KHAN: A case has been registered at the Phagla Border Military Police (BMP) Station in the Koh-e-Sulaiman area against four people, including the father and stepmother of an 11-year-old girl, for forcing her into marriage with an 80-year-old man for Rs1.5 million. According to the police, the FIR…
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Police Foil Underage Marriage, Book Eight People in Attock

TAXILA: Police in Khor town of Pindigheb foiled an underage marriage and booked eight persons including bridegroom, his mother, bride’s brother and other facilitators under Child Marriage Act. Those who face legal action are those who solemnized the nikkah (marriage contract) and nikkah registrar. According to sources, Noman Ashraf has…
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Early Enactment of Child Marriage Restraint Law Demanded

PESHAWAR: Lawmakers and civil society representatives at a provincial consultation expressed concern over delay in enactment of a law restraining child marriages in the province and called upon the government to push forward the draft bill for cabinet approval and subsequent tabling in the provincial assembly. The high-level provincial consultation…
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Punjab sets Minimum Marriage Age at 18 with Passage of New Law

• Heated debate ensues after lawmakers not provided copies of Child Marriage Restraint bill • Azma protests suggestion under-18s be allowed to marry ‘with court permission’ • Minister opposes amendment seeking to void marriages consummated after abduction or forced conversion LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed the Punjab Child…
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Christian Marriage Bill Faces Opposition

LAHORE: A bill has been introduced in the Punjab Assembly to amend the 153-year-old Christian Marriage Act, but it has drawn criticism from Christian religious leaders and legal experts, who argue that raising the marriage age alone is not enough and that wider reforms—covering divorce, annulment, inheritance, child custody, and…
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Punjab Sets 18 Years as Minimum Age for Marriage

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development has made a significant step by setting 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both boys and girls across the province, abolishing the earlier provision that had permitted girls for marriage at the age of 16.…
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FCC Rules Child Marriages Punishable but Not Void Under Law

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that while underage marriages may invite criminal liability under the Child Marriage Act, 1929, such unions cannot be declared void, holding that the law provides only for penal consequences and does not invalidate the marriage itself. In a detailed judgment authored by Justice…
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