The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Tuesday rejected a bill prohibiting marriages under the age of 18, declaring it “un-Islamic” and at odds with Sharia law.
The bill, recently passed by the National Assembly and approved by the Senate, sought to ban child marriages in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and criminalise unions involving anyone under 18. However, the CII argued that defining underage marriage as rape and imposing punishments contradicts Islamic teachings.
In its meeting, the council also raised objections to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government’s proposed “Child Marriage Prohibition Bill 2025,” claiming it did not align with Sharia principles and voicing concern that the draft was not referred to the CII for review before its presentation in parliament.
The council ultimately issued a formal statement rejecting the federal bill, originally tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Sharmila Farooqui.
Additionally, while the council supported encouraging thalassemia testing for couples before marriage, it opposed making it mandatory, citing the need to keep marital procedures straightforward and in line with Islamic values.
The CII also took aim at the Sindh Prevention and Control of Thalassemia Act 2013, which mandates pre-marriage thalassemia testing. It further condemned the societal practice of pressuring families—especially brides—to provide dowries, labeling it as un-Islamic.
The council also stated that women should have the choice to retain either their husband’s or parents’ domicile after marriage. It reiterated that, under Islamic law, a husband is not financially responsible for his divorced wife after her Iddat (waiting period) is complete.
Finally, the CII announced the formation of a committee to review and suggest changes to Section 7 of the “Muslim Family Laws Amendment Bill 2025” at the request of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Separately, the council reviewed queries from the National Accountability Bureau concerning investment issues, housing schemes, and Islamic profit-sharing models like Mudarabah.
