Pak Islamic ideologues endorse underage marriage 'if signs of puberty visible'

Pakistan's Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has endorsed its earlier ruling that girls as young as nine years old are eligible to be married.

The CII meeting, chaired by Maulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), said the girls could get married if the signs of puberty were visible.

The CII added that most of the clauses of the existing Muslim Marriage Law, 1961, were un-Islamic.

According to Dawn News, talking to reporters after the conclusion of a two-day CII meeting, Sheerani criticised the Sindh Assembly, the media and 'some other segments of society' for not taking the council's decisions seriously.

Sheerani said that the primary responsibility of the council is the 'Islamisation' of the country's laws and those opposing CII's decisions need to reconsider their position.

The CII chief said marriages that were solemnised at a time when both individuals were minors were only binding if they were arranged by the father or grandfather of the two individuals.

Sheerani added that a marriage could be performed at any age, but the bride could only start living with the groom after reaching puberty.