Pakistan: Bill Bans Child Marriage in the Capital, Islamabad
Friday, June 20, 2025 10:45 AM

On May 19, 2025, the Islamabad Senate passed a landmark bill  banning marriage for both boys and girls under the age of 18, raising the minimum age for girls from 16 to 18. Underage marriage is now a criminal offense in the capital, with penalties of up to seven years in prison for those who coerce children into marriage. The bill also considers any marital sexual relations with a minor as statutory rape, and adult men married to underage girls may face up to three years in prison. The law responds to long-standing concerns about child marriage’s impact on education, health, and rates of domestic violence. A similar ban was enacted over a decade ago in the Sindh province, and prospects are good that the capital vote will inspire similar legislation across the country.  
 
Compiled from: Sarah Johnson and Shah Meer Baloch, "Pakistan sends ‘important signal’ of hope in a gloomy world of pushbacks on women’s rights," The Guardian, May 27, 2025,