By: Hira A. Malik
There’s a powerful shift happening in Pakistan, and it’s one that deserves real celebration. The recent passage of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025 marks a crucial milestone in protecting children’s rights and paving the way for a more progressive and equitable society. Finally, the minimum legal age of marriage is set firmly at 18 years for both girls and boys—an overdue but vital step toward safeguarding childhood, health, and futures.
Child marriage has long been a pervasive issue in Pakistan, with statistics painting a grim picture: UNICEF estimates that 21% of girls are married before 18, and 3% before 15. The consequences of these early marriages are severe—girls are forced out of school, exposed to early pregnancies with grave health risks, and trapped in cycles of poverty and abuse. It’s a form of sexual abuse and exploitation that denies children their right to grow, learn, and thrive.
This new law in ICT doesn’t just raise the age limit—it criminalizes child marriage explicitly as a cognizable offence and categorizes it as child abuse and trafficking. That’s a huge step forward in aligning Pakistan’s legal framework with international standards like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also sends a clear message that child marriage is not just a social ill but a serious human rights violation demanding urgent action.
Yet, while this law is cause for hope, it’s only the beginning. Provinces like Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa still lag behind with laws permitting girls to marry as young as 16, or worse, relying on outdated legislation from 1929. There’s an urgent need for harmonization across Pakistan’s regions to close loopholes and protect every child equally.
Religious opposition and entrenched cultural norms continue to fuel resistance against change. The Council of Islamic Ideology branded the law “un-Islamic,” but this ignores precedents from Muslim-majority countries like Tunisia and Morocco that have enacted similar age limits. It also overlooks rulings from Pakistan’s own Federal Sharia Court affirming the state’s authority to regulate marriage age. Progress must not be held hostage by conservative interpretations that harm children.
The law’s provisions—requiring computerized identity verification for marriage registration, punishing those who facilitate or coerce child marriages, and empowering courts to intervene preemptively—are practical tools to combat forced and early marriages. Still, legislation alone won’t solve the problem. We need robust implementation backed by awareness campaigns, sensitized law enforcement, and supportive infrastructure for victims.
Education is key. Only by keeping girls and boys in school can we break the cycle that drives families to marry off children early—often under economic pressure or social tradition. Community engagement is essential to shift mindsets and dismantle harmful practices rooted in poverty, ignorance, and discrimination.
This law in ICT sets a hopeful precedent. Now it’s time for the rest of Pakistan to follow suit without delay. Our children deserve more than empty promises—they deserve laws that protect them, communities that support them, and futures that empower them.
Ending child marriage isn’t just a legal battle—it’s a fight for the dignity, health, and rights of millions of young Pakistanis. And with the ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025, we’ve taken a significant stride forward. Let’s keep the momentum going until no child’s childhood is stolen by marriage.
What do you think—is Pakistan ready to take this leap toward ending child marriage nationwide?
