President signs law fixing 18 as minimum legal marriage age

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ISLAMABAD: The children’s marriage bill, 2025, which sets a minimum age of 18, was signed by President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday.

In this legislation, any good -natured marriages are forbidden if the bride or groom are both under 18. Violations could result in up to one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 100,000.

In addition, if a man over 18 years of age married a young girl, he could be sentenced to three years of severe imprisonment.

The law that forbids the marriage of children also states that if the court becomes aware of the young marriage, it will issue a prevention order. In addition, anyone who informs the court can request to keep his identity confidential, and is obliged to provide protection to the court.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman paid tribute to President Zardari for signing a ban on children’s marriage, calling it an important moment in the fight against minor marriage in Pakistan. He said that this important legislation indicates a milestone in the country’s legal efforts to end children’s marriage and protect the rights of women and children.

“Despite facing pressure, President Zardari signed the bill and demonstrated his commitment”, which Rehman termed as a symbol of a new era of reform in Pakistan.

According to the Senator, the passage of the bill represents a victory to protect the rights of women and children. He emphasized that the law was the result of a long and difficult struggle, and that would help improve access to young girls’ education and health care.

“This bill is not just a legislature, it is a pledge to ensure that every girl has the right to education, health and dignity,” he said.

Rehman added that banning children’s marriage is a step towards security, hope and a bright future for generations to come. He said that after Sindh, the federal government has now sent a strong message against the underage marriage, and called on other provinces to follow it and take such progress towards such progressive legislation.

The bill was actually introduced by PPP MNA Sharmila Farooki in the National Assembly and was later presented by Rehman in the Senate.

However, the legislation was rejected by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which declared it against Islam.

“The CII named the meeting in the meeting called the Bill to control the marriage of children, which Sharmila Farooki was transferred to the National Assembly as non -Islamic in the National Assembly,” said an official statement issued by the CII Media Wing after the meeting.

The participants of the meeting chaired by Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi maintained that the children’s marriage bill, 2025 provisions set the age limit for marriage and not according to Islamic discrimination, declaring the age limit for marriage and abusing children from the age of 18.

The CII meeting, while identifying some issues in underage marriages, also observed that this trend should be discouraged.

“However, the CII’s overall meeting rejected the bill as non -Islamic,” the CII statement said. The meeting also noted that the bill was not given to the CII for the council’s opinion and review.

It should be noted that the members of the ANP’s Emal Wali Khan and Joi FF also opposed the bill in the Senate.

In Pakistan, the highest number of children’s brides is the highest number of children. At the same time, 19 million girls were married before the age of 18. Half of them became pregnant before reaching the legal age. Only 13 % of the married girls finished secondary schools compared to 44 % of unmarried colleagues, limiting their future opportunities and freedoms.