The Punjab government is preparing to introduce the Child Marriage Restraint Act, setting 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage in the province, in line with legislation already in place in Sindh and Islamabad. The proposed law carries strict penalties for violations.
This was disclosed by Qaisar Mehmood, Divisional Coordinator of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women, at an international conference on the age of marriage held at a local hotel on Thursday.
The event was organized by the Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy (Poda), in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Rights and the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
The conference brought together scholars and rights advocates from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Indonesia, Morocco, Oman, Nigeria, Rwanda, Syria and Tunisia.
Sharing details of the legislation, Mehmood said the bill had been drafted and forwarded to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for approval. Under the proposed law, any adult who marries a girl below the age of 18 will face two years imprisonment and a fine of two million rupees. Marriage registrars and witnesses involved in such unions may face imprisonment of two to three years.
The announcement was received with strong support from participants, who expressed hope that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan would also adopt similar legislation.
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Speaking at the event, Deputy Head of Mission at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad Thomas Dahl commended the collaborative effort to safeguard girls’ rights and reaffirmed Norway’s support for Pakistan in this area.
Murtaza Solangi, spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, described child marriage as a violation of fundamental rights and called for broader constitutional and social reforms. He emphasised the need to educate families on the harmful effects of early marriage on girls’ health and education.
Minister of State for Law, Justice and Human Rights Barrister Aqeel Malik noted that progress toward a uniform national law had taken time, although Sindh had already implemented such reforms. He said efforts were underway to standardize child marriage restraint legislation across the country.
