child marriage - Page 4

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…

The Age Of Consent And The Borders Of Belief

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 of children.…

Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 and Jinnah

The Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 was drafted by Quaid-i-Azam- Mohammad Ali…

IHC Judgement on Child Marriage Case

Honourable Justice BABAR SATTAR of the The Islamabad High Court Issuing a…

Police Thwart Man’s Bid To Marry Underage Girl

BAHAWALPUR: Bahawalpur Saddar police thwarted a bid by a man to marry a 13-year-old girl and arrested four suspects, including the would-be groom, at Basti Azeempur here on 24th July. According to the First Information Report No 908/25 registered under sections 420, 468, 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and…

Provinces Must Set Legal Marriage Age At 18: NA Body

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on 17th July recommended that both national and provincial governments establish a uniform legal marriage age of 18 years for both men and women. A meeting of the Committee on Gender of Mainstreaming, held here, observed that this change will help reduce health risks associated with…

First Kalash Marriage Bill Cleared By Law Department

Legislation aims to protect and formalise the marital customs of the community Peshawar. In a landmark step toward preserving cultural heritage, Pakistan’s first indigenous Kalash Marriage Bill has successfully passed vetting by the Law Department and will soon be presented to the cabinet before being tabled in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…

Equal Marriage

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 be interpreted…

Police Foil Secret Burial Attempt After Woman’s Murder In Afghan Basti

In a disturbing incident of domestic abuse, a 17-year-old, also the mother of a minor baby girl, was murdered in Karachi’s Afghan Basti allegedly by her own family members. The incident took place near Afghan Chowk within the limits of the Gulshan-e-Maymar police station. Acting swiftly on a tip-off, police…

Stakeholders Renew Push For Child Marriage Bill In Balochistan

QUETTA: A joint consultative meeting of stakeholders—including members of civil society, human rights activists, and social and political workers —revived efforts to pass the pending Child Marriage Restraint Bill in the Balochistan Assembly. The meeting was jointly organised by National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) Balochistan, the…

Campaign Calls For Under 18 Marriage Ban

Islamabad. In view of the increasing trend of child marriage and its serious consequences, the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), along with women’s rights organisations, has launched a comprehensive campaign across the country calling for a ban on marriage before the age of 18. Addressing a press…

Early Marriages Rob Youngsters Of Childhood, Future: SHRC

SUKKUR: Over 500 women coming from different walks of life attended a gathering in the Sachal Academy Auditorium, Khairpur, on 16th June and vowed to work for safeguarding children’s rights. They belonged to 20 UCs of Khairpur district and travelled to the venue for, what was described as the “grand…

STOLEN CHILDHOODS, SILENT TEARS

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 emergency. According…

Criminalising Child Marriage

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 child marriage…