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President Zardari Signs Historic Child Marriage Restraint Bill
President Zardari signs landmark Child Marriage Restraint Bill into law, banning marriage under 18 in Islamabad despite strong opposition. A major win for children's rights in Pakistan!
ND
by News Desk
2025-05-30
President Zardari Signs Historic Child Marriage Restraint Bill

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, marking a significant step forward in the fight against child marriage in Pakistan. The announcement was made through an official notification by the Presidency and shared publicly by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman.

The bill, which seeks to prohibit the marriage of individuals under the age of 18 in Islamabad, had successfully passed both the National Assembly and the Senate before reaching the Presidency on May 27. Its approval has been celebrated by rights activists and lawmakers as a monumental legislative achievement, though it has also faced serious backlash from certain religious quarters.

Senator Sherry Rehman lauded the President's decision, calling it a "milestone" for Pakistan. “This bill is not just a law, it is a commitment that our girls have the right to education, health, and a prosperous life,” she said. Rehman also acknowledged the challenges faced during the bill’s journey through Parliament, including intense resistance from religious factions, and thanked PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, lawmakers, opposition members, and civil society for their unwavering support.

“This is a symbol of a new era of reforms in Pakistan,” she added, stressing the law’s significance for the protection of women and children's rights.

However, the bill has not been without controversy. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) opposed the legislation, stating that classifying marriage under the age of 18 as rape was inconsistent with Islamic teachings. CII member Maulana Jalaluddin of JUI-F criticized the bill, calling it a "Western conspiracy" to disrupt the traditional family structure, and claimed that the legislation violated both Sharia and cultural norms.

He further argued that the Parliament had bypassed the CII, pushing the bill “in secrecy.” “The assembly cannot be above the Quran and Sunnah,” he stated.

In contrast, PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqi, who introduced the bill in the National Assembly, emphasized that the issue should be viewed through the lens of human rights rather than religion. “We are not against marriages. But marrying girls as young as 13 or 14 years is unfair,” she said, noting that minors under 18 cannot vote or obtain identity documents, yet are allowed to marry.

Faruqi also pointed out that the Federal Shariat Court had ruled in 2022 that the state has the authority to set the minimum age for marriage, reinforcing the bill’s legal and constitutional footing.

As the law comes into effect in Islamabad, Sherry Rehman has urged other provinces to enact similar legislation to uniformly protect children across Pakistan from early and forced marriages.

 
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