KP Assembly lauded for raising marriage age to 18

PESHAWAR: Various civil society organisations have applauded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for unanimously passing a resolution to increase the minimum age of marriage to 18 years and legislate to end domestic violence.

The civil society organisations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Partners for Prevention and Response (P4PR), the Provincial Alliance to End Early Child and Forced Marriages, KP Civil Society Joint Working Group (KPCSJWG) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network hailed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for unanimously passing the resolution.

The resolution was moved by Maliha Asghar, chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, and jointly signed by women parliamentarians of various political parties including Nighat Yasmeen Orakzai, Ayesha Bano, Sumaira Shams, Maliha Asghar Khan, Ayesha Naeem, and Shagufta Malik.

The resolution states: “This house acknowledges its obligations to support and enact domestic legislation in the light of Pakistan’s international and regional human rights-based obligations. It also condemns all laws and acts of injustice, discrimination, and violence against girls that result from child marriages.”

Qamar Naseem, provincial coordinator for the Alliance to End Early, Child and Forced Marriages and Focal person of the Civil Society Joint Working Group, praised the women legislators for introducing the resolution.

He said that Pakistan has committed to eliminate child, early and forced marriage by 2030 in line with target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Taimur Kamal, coordinator for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network, said: “Child marriage is a fundamental human right violation that constitutes a grave threat to young girls’ lives, health and future prospects.”

He said the right to “free and full” consent to a marriage is recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights- with the recognition that consent cannot be ‘free and full’ when one of the parties involved is not sufficiently mature to make an informed decision about a life partner.”

Sana Gulzar, the chairperson of Chapairchal, a youth organisation working for girls’ rights, said that during its 2018 Universal Periodic Review, Pakistan agreed to examine recommendations to make the minimum age of marriage for women and men 18.

She added that child marriages potentially exposes girls to violence and abuse. It is a gross violation of her fundamental human rights, and there are absolutely no circumstances under which it should be acceptable.