Pakistan’s parliament on Monday (May 19) passed a significant bill aiming to curb, discourage and eventually eradicate child marriages in the federal capital by raising the legal age of marriage for both sexes to 18 years.
Sharmila Faruqui of the Pakistan People’s Party introduced the bill in the National Assembly on May 16, and House members unanimously approved it. PPP Sen. Sherry Rehman on Monday (May 19) then introduced the bill in the Senate, which passed it despite strong protest and a walkout by members of the Islamist party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
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The JUI-F senators termed the bill “un-Islamic” and in conflict with cultural and religious values and demanded it be sent to the Council of Islamic Ideology for review. The majority members, however, argued it was already approved by the CII, and that similar legislation was enforced in Sindh Province for over a decade without any issue.
The bill has been sent to President Asif Ali Zardari for his assent. Once signed into law, it would apply only to the federal capital Islamabad, and only district and sessions courts would handle related cases.
World Watch
Pakistan, whose population is 96-percent Muslim, ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was originally published by Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
