She should be in a classroom, not a marriage contract. She should be carrying schoolbooks, not wedding bangles. And yet, in Pakistan, girls are pulled from their childhoods and thrust into lives they never chose. Child marriage is a systemic erasure of futures.
Child marriage remains one of the most persistent and devastating injustices in our country. According to Unicef, more than 18 per cent of girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 18. That’s nearly one in five. The impact is lifelong: early marriage increases the risk of maternal mortality, mental health trauma, and domestic abuse. It permanently disrupts a girl’s education and, with it, her future.
These are not isolated harms. They form the architecture of systemic inequality. A child bride is not just one less girl in school; she is a nation’s lost potential.
This issue became deeply meaningful to me in 2013, when I introduced the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act in the Sindh Assembly, making it the first province in Pakistan to outlaw child marriage under the age of 18. It was a moment of progress. However, as I stepped into the National Assembly years later, it was only natural for me to carry that progress forward at the federal level. The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2024 was the first private member’s bill I tabled in the National Assembly, an extension of the vision I had first translated into law over a decade ago. Girls in every corner of Pakistan deserve equal protection.
On May 16, 2025, history was made as the National Assembly unanimously passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill. For the first time, our federal capital adopted a legal framework that declares no child under 18 should be forced into marriage. It is more than legislation; it is a national commitment to protect childhood, dignity and equality.
The bill replaces the outdated Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 with a robust, rights-based legal structure. It makes it illegal for any person, be it a Nikah registrar, khateeb, guardian or parent, to solemnise or facilitate a marriage where either party is under 18. Nikah registrars are now legally bound to verify the age of both individuals through valid CNICs issued by NADRA.
Anyone found officiating a child marriage faces up to one year in prison, a fine of Rs100,000 or both. Men over the age of 18 who marry a child face harsher penalties: two to three years of rigorous imprisonment and financial penalties. Cohabitation with a minor, even with so-called consent, is explicitly categorised as child abuse under this law. Furthermore, those who arrange, promote or enable such marriages, including parents, guardians and facilitators, are also criminally liable.
The legislation extends further to address trafficking: any individual who recruits, harbours or transports a child for marriage will now face criminal charges with penalties extending up to three years in prison. The courts are empowered to issue injunctions to stop an impending child marriage and to protect the identity of whistleblowers and survivors. This is no longer a matter of moral pleading but a matter of law.
It gives me immense pride that, through this bill, Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to ending child marriage, not just nationally, but globally. As a signatory to numerous international conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Sustainable Development Goals, Pakistan has pledged to eliminate harmful practices like child marriage. SDG 5.3 calls explicitly for an end to child marriage by 2030. With this law, Pakistan has taken a definitive step towards honouring these international obligations and joining the global movement to protect the rights of girls.
This effort and this law are dedicated to the enduring legacy of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, whose life’s work was devoted to empowering women and children. Her vision for a more equitable Pakistan continues to guide us. This is a step in the direction she illuminated.
The support of the PPP has been foundational to this journey. It has never shied away from difficult reform, and I am deeply proud to belong to a political legacy that believes in justice, dignity and progressive change. The confidence placed in me by our president, Asif Ali Zardari, and our chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, enabled me to carry this cause forward, not just as a legislator, but as a woman, as a mother, and as someone who simply could not look away.
I acknowledge the principled and timely role of Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, whose belief in the urgency of this bill and unwavering commitment to its passage played a pivotal role in making this historic legislation a reality.
Let me acknowledge the tireless efforts of civil society organisations, rights activists and journalists who kept this issue alive long before it reached the floor of the Assembly. Their voices amplified the silent suffering of countless girls nationwide and laid the foundation for this legislative milestone. I also thank the government for supporting this bill -- and my fellow parliamentarians on both sides of the aisle, who rose above party lines to vote unanimously for this legislation. That moment was bigger than politics; it was a collective stand to protect our little girls.
Passing a bill is just the beginning; real change lies in implementation. Laws only protect when understood, enforced and upheld. We must educate communities, engage religious leaders, train law enforcement and empower at-risk girls. This effort must extend beyond Islamabad; every province must act.
A child deserves to learn, play and grow, not bear the weight of adulthood. This law is a step forward, but true success lies in the lives we protect and the dreams we nurture. Let’s uphold the law in both letter and spirit, ensuring no girl in Pakistan is ever forced into marriage again.
The writer is a member of theNational Assembly. She holds a PhD in Law and serves on the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Kashmir.