Child marriage bill challenged in Federal Shariat Court

ISLAMABAD: Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 has been challenged in the Federal Shariat Court by a private citizen on Wednesday, according to media reports.

The petition has urged to nullify the bill which sets a minimum age of 18 for the marriage. The petition has named the Ministry of Interior  and its secretary as respondents in the case.

Shehzada Adnan as the petitioner will be represented by Advocate Mudassar Chaudhry in this petition filled.

The petitioner claimed in his request that the new law contradicts Islamic principles and was enacted in violation of the Holy Quran, Sunnah, and Hadith. The petition cites many Quranic verses to support its stance, claiming that the act contradicts Islamic jurisprudence guidelines.

The petitioner further claimed that the punishment listed in the law imprisonment with hard labor, is unconstitutional and un-Islamic, calling it an excessive punishment for an act he feels does not violate Islamic values.

“The state has no right to criminalize what is not forbidden in Islam. The imposition of harsh punishments and legal restrictions on marriage violates the religious rights of citizens,” the petition said.

The petitioner requested that the Federal Shariat Court declare the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 null and illegal and impose a restraining order prohibiting law enforcement authorities from registering cases under the challenged legislation.