ISLAMABAD: The Islamic Ideology Council has rejected the bill to prohibit marriage of children below the age of 18, passed by the National Assembly and Senate.
According to the details, an important meeting of the Islamic Ideology Council was held today, chaired by Chairman Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi.
The issue of child marriage was discussed in detail in the meeting. Although the National Assembly and Senate have approved the legal draft in this regard, the Islamic Ideology Council unanimously rejected it.
The meeting also reviewed the Thalassemia Mandatory Screening Bill for 2025, inquiries by NAB regarding the Shariah status of various projects and schemes, the Lahore High Court’s decision regarding dowry in case of divorce, Islamabad’s Child Marriage Prohibition Bill 2025, the “Child Marriage Restraint Act” sent by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, and the Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025.
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It may be recalled that earlier, the Senate and the National Assembly of Pakistan had passed a bill banning the marriage of minors.
Under this law, the marriage registrar has been made obliged not to register the marriage of minors, and the person performing the marriage ceremony will have to verify the computerized identity cards of both parties before the marriage.
The law also prescribes punishment for a man who marries a girl below the age of 18, under which a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years of rigorous imprisonment will also be imposed, in addition to a fine. If a minor is married without consent or with consent, it will be considered as rape of a minor.
Similarly, a person who forces or encourages a minor bride or groom to marry has also been declared guilty of rape, and the person who performs such a marriage can be given 5 to 7 years of imprisonment, a fine of Rs 1 million, or both.
