JUI-F leader accuses government of following IMF and UN dictates instead of Islamic principles
ISLAMABAD:Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), has announced a nationwide protest against a proposed bill that would ban underage marriages, describing it as an assault on Islamic teachings and Pakistan’s religious identity.At a press conference in Peshawar on Saturday, Fazlur Rehman argued that the legislation was being pushed by foreign influences. “Pakistan’s identity is rooted in Islam, and that identity is now under threat,” he declared.He accused the government of shaping the law based on recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations, rather than respecting Islamic values. “The UN’s agenda is being used to justify restrictions on early-age marriages. Even the President is refusing to sign the bill concerning religious seminaries,” he said.Fazl went on to criticise the legislation as contrary to the Quran and Sunnah. “This undermines democracy itself, giving strength to extremist narratives,” he warned.The JUI-F leader claimed that previous reforms, including those introduced by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, had also targeted religious principles. “Essentially, legitimate marriages are being obstructed while fornication is being facilitated,” he argued, adding that the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had already dismissed the child marriage bill.He declared a nationwide protest campaign to oppose the bill, saying, “We will present our case to the world.”Touching on broader geopolitical concerns, Fazl said the world was entering a new Cold War era. “Asia, under China’s leadership, is emerging as a new economic bloc. After 9/11, we saw a global revolution, and we are now entering a fresh phase,” he stated.He also took aim at India, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions had brought the region closer to war and reduced hopes for peaceful resolution of disputes.In a lighter aside, he joked about the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying, “It reminds me of a joke—PPP is protesting PTI for breaking even the People’s Party’s corruption records.”On regional connectivity, Fazl emphasised the importance of strengthening ties with Afghanistan and extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to include Afghanistan and other countries.What is the Child Marriage Bill?On Friday, President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025, which sets the minimum marriage age at 18 in the federal capital. The law criminalises the solemnisation of marriages where either party is underage.Under the new law, marriage officiants (Nikah khuwans) cannot conduct marriages involving minors, with violators facing up to one year in prison and a fine of Rs100,000. Men over 18 who marry underage girls can face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The law also empowers courts to intervene in such cases and ensures the protection of those who report underage marriages.The bill was initially presented in the National Assembly by PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui and later in the Senate by Senator Sherry Rehman. Despite this, it faced strong opposition from the CII, which argued that under Islamic jurisprudence, girls can marry once they reach puberty, regardless of age. The CII contends that setting a minimum age of 18 contradicts these religious interpretations and therefore should not be mandatory in law.
