ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari 30-May-2025 signed “The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025” into a law criminalising child marriages in the federal capital despite opposition from a Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).
The National Assembly and the Senate passed the bill separately last week. It was moved by Sharmila Farooqui in the National Assembly and Senator Sherry Rehman in the Senate.
However, after its passage by the two Houses of Parliament, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) rejected the bill, which fixes the minimum age of 18 for marriage, terming the legislation against Islam.
Meanwhile, Vice President Pakistan People’s Party and Parliamentary leader of the PPP in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman, lauded the signing into law of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, as a landmark moment in Pakistan’s legislative history.
“This is a milestone in Pakistan’s long and difficult journey toward protecting the rights of children, especially girls,” said Senator Rehman. “Despite resistance from various quarters, President Zardari signed this important bill into law. His action speaks volumes about the political will to drive real reform,” she said while lauding the signing it into law.
Senator Sherry Rehman emphasised that this was not just a piece of legislation but a party-led commitment long championed by the PPP. “This has been a PPP bill, one that we have been pursuing for a long time. I especially want to thank President Asif Ali Zardari for his unwavering leadership, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his consistent support for progressive reforms, and Senator Sehar Kamran, who was the first to introduce this bill in the Senate. I also commend MNA Sharmila Faruqi for tabling it in the National Assembly and carrying it forward with determination,” she said. “This bill is against the atrocities committed against young girls,” Senator Rehman declared. “Girls under the age of 18, when married off, often die during childbirth. We cannot ignore these silent funerals anymore.”
Citing the UNFPA Annual Report 2024, she underscored that “Every 50 minutes, a woman in Pakistan dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Much of this is directly attributable to underage marriage, where girls have no agency over their nutrition, their health, or even the fate of the children they bear,” she added.
She issued a strong statement: “A person under the age of 18 is not even granted a driving licence, how is it possible to allow them to get married?” “In Pakistan, “juvenile crime” refers to offences committed by individuals under the age of 18. The Juvenile Justice System Act (JJSA) 2018 defines a “juvenile” as a child who has not attained the age of 18 and can be dealt with differently than an adult for an offence. Then how can an individual under 18 be considered a mature person who can get married?”
She further added, “Pakistan has the second-highest infant mortality rate in Asia, with 50.10 deaths per 1,000 live births (World Bank). Over 40% of children under five are stunted due to malnutrition, often a result of young mothers lacking education and health access.” “This is a statistic of shame. We cannot allow inaction to stand in the way of justice for our girls.”
Published in News Daily on 31-May-2025.
