Pak passes law to curb child marriages, sets minimum marriage age to 18

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law a bill fixing the minimum age for marriage at 18 years to curb child marriages despite opposition from right-wing clerics.

The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, seeking to protect the rights of children and eventually eradicate marriages of children under the age of 18, was sent to the president's approval on May 27 after sailing through both houses of Parliament.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman shared on X a presidential notification related to the approval of the legislation.

The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 is assented to, as passed by the Parliament, the notification read.

Pakistan has reached a milestone in the enactment of important legislation against child marriages, she said.

Zardari accented to the bill despite strong opposition from religious groups and even the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional body tasked to offer counsel on legal issues, in a ruling said that classifying marriage under the age of 18 as rape did not conform with Islamic law.

Rehman said that the approval of the bill was successful despite resistance from various sections, adding that President Zardari signed the bill despite pressure.

The signing of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill is a symbol of a new era of reforms in Pakistan, she said.

She hailed the approval as a victory for the protection of the rights of women and children, adding, This law was possible after a long and difficult struggle.

This bill is not just a law, it is a commitment that our girls have the right to education, health and a prosperous life, Rehman continued.

She thanked PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, party leaders, other political parties and representatives of the opposition and the public for their support to the bill. Earlier, CII member Maulana Jalaludin, who belongs to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), said President Zardari should prevent anarchy in society by not signing the bill.