Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday strongly opposed the newly enacted Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, declaring a series of protest rallies across the country to “raise awareness” among the public.
The legislation, which aims to safeguard children’s rights by outlawing marriages under the age of 18 within Islamabad, was officially signed into law by the president on May 27 after passing through both houses of Parliament.
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However, the law has faced significant pushback from religious quarters. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) — the constitutional advisory body on Islamic matters — criticized the legislation, arguing that equating underage marriage with rape is incompatible with Islamic teachings.
During a press conference in Peshawar, Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected the act, claiming it “facilitates fornication while making lawful marriages more difficult.” He criticized the state, saying: “Pakistan is a strange country — during Musharraf’s era, a constitutional amendment decriminalized fornication in the name of women’s rights. Now they want to outlaw marriage for those under 18.”
He further stated that despite constitutional protections for religious beliefs, the Constitution itself was “being trampled.” Fazl added that the CII, along with various religious scholars and parties, unanimously deemed the law inconsistent with the Quran and Sunnah.
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Announcing a nationwide protest campaign, the JUI-F leader revealed plans to hold awareness rallies and a major conference in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 29. “Our rallies won’t be issue-specific, like Al-Aqsa Mosque protests. We’ll now rally for national sovereignty and Islamic governance,” he said. “God willing, we will freely present our stance to the world. Islam is a progressive religion with relevance in every age.”
Child marriage remains a widespread issue in Pakistan, especially in rural and impoverished areas, driven by poverty and limited educational opportunities. According to a 2019 World Health Organization report, approximately 21 percent of girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 18.
Efforts to curb child marriage through legislation have previously faced hurdles. In 2019, the Senate passed the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill — introduced by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman — which proposed setting 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage. However, JUI-F opposed the bill, calling it “un-Islamic” and urging that it be reviewed by the CII before parliamentary debate. The bill was never passed by the National Assembly.
Similarly, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Marriage Restraint Bill, introduced by PPP MPA Nighat Orakzai in 2021, also failed to become law.
By contrast, Sindh remains the only province to have successfully passed such legislation. The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, enacted in 2014, prohibits marriage below the age of 18.