ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2025 with the unanimous consent of the present members, while senators belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) walked out in protest against the legislation, calling it contrary to Islamic values.
The session, chaired by Acting Chairman Senate Syedal Khan, witnessed heated debate when PPP Senator Sherry Rehman introduced the bill aimed at preventing child marriages in the federal capital. She stressed the need for the legislation, citing the alarming rate of maternal mortality among teenage girls. She said that girls below the age of 16 become mothers and many die during childbirth. “This bill was first passed unanimously by the Senate in 2013.”
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza opposed the bill, saying that the legislation contradicts the Islamic system and should be sent to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman also strongly objected, warning that giving minors the right to choose their spouse without parental consent was akin to European social norms. He announced that if the bill was passed without consultation, JUI-F would walk out.
Senator Rubina Khalid, responding to the point of objection, pointed out that the bill had already been passed by the Sindh Assembly and approved by the Council of Islamic Ideology. “These legislators do not visit rural areas, where minor girls are routinely married off. This law protects the rights of children,” she said.
PTI Senator Dost Muhammad Khan and Senator Aimal Wali Khan supported the demand to send the bill to the CII. Senator Aimal stressed that the Islamic principle of marriage is not based on age but on maturity (adulthood). He also warned against blindly following Western practices. He said that we should bring laws against forced marriages instead of imitating the West.
Senator Khalil Tahir Sindhu challenged religious objections by asking, “Show me any other Muslim country other than Pakistan where marriage below the age of 18 is legal.” He was supported by Senator Farooq H. Naik, who questioned whether there was a fixed age of maturity in Islam and clarified that Pakistan’s legal framework defines a minor as below the age of 18.
Other senators offered personal reflections: Senator Nasima Ehsan shared her experience of getting married at the age of 13, calling the bill a necessary step forward. “Not every household is like mine. This is about protecting girls,” she said.
Senator Samina Mumtaz added that child marriage is a “sin”, noting that countries like Egypt also ban it. Senator Sarwar Ali said that Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, has also legally set the minimum age of marriage at 18 years.
Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman cited religious traditions regarding the age of marriage of Hazrat Aisha (RA) and presented various traditions from Islamic texts. However, Senator Sherry Rehman argued that the state has the right to set the age limit in the public interest and reminded the house that the Federal Sharia Court has not struck down the child marriage law in Sindh, which has been in force for over a decade.
After a long debate, the bill was put to the vote. JUI-F senators walked out of the house in protest, while the rest of the house unanimously passed the bill.
The meeting was adjourned till 10:30 am on Thursday.
