CII rejects child marriage restraint bill as contrary to Islam

ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Tuesday rejected the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 which fixes minimum age for marriage at 18, terming the legislation passed by the National Assembly and Senate against Islam.

“The CII at its meeting termed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill which was moved by Sharmila Faruqui MNA in the National Assembly as un-Islamic,” an official statement issued by the CII media wing after the meeting said.

The participants of the meeting chaired by Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi maintained that clauses of the Child Marriage Restraint bill, 2025, fixing the age limit for marriage and declaring marriage below age of 18 as child abuse and punishment for committing the act, do not conform with the Islamic injunctions.

The CII meeting, while pointing out some problems in under-age marriages, also observed that the trend should be discouraged. “However, the CII meeting as a whole rejected the bill terming the same as un-Islamic,” the CII statement said. The meeting also noted that the bill was not referred to the CII to seek Council’s opinion and review.

Similarly, the CII meeting on Tuesday also termed that draft of a similar bill titled Child Marriage Restraining Bill, which was referred to the Council by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government, clashes with the Islamic injunctions.

The CII also decided that Thalassemia screening before marriage should not be declared as compulsory rather it should be an option for both sides. “In light of Islamic teachings, no complications

should be involved in the process of Nikah,” the CII meeting observed stressing that an awareness campaign could be more effective instead.

The CII meeting also held discussions with regard to irresponsible reporting in media on courts’ decisions and expressed concern in this connection. In this regard, the CII members referred to irresponsible reporting on Lahore High Court’s decision on Khula.

On the issue of dowry, the CII meeting also declared that demanding dowry or forcing family of bride for the purpose was against Islamic teachings and injunctions. The CII called upon parents to take decision with regard to rituals, marriages, etc, in the light of Islamic teachings.

On a query from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the CII declared that it should be discretion of a woman whether she wants to apply for domicile of his husband’s native district after marriage or keep the domicile which she got before marriage.

The meeting also constituted a committee to make the Auqaf department as more effective and dynamic. The committee would submit its recommendations after going through department’s performance and its administrative structure.

The CII meeting also formed another committee to prepare a comprehensive draft of Muslim Family Laws. The meeting also proposed amendment to clause 7 of the Muslim Family (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The meeting also declared that a divorced woman on completion of ‘Iddat Period” cannot claim ‘Nan Nufqa’. The CII also negated the concept of Matrimonial.