Pakistan Bans Marriage and Rukhsati of Girls Under 16

 

Pakistan has strengthened its legal framework to prevent child marriage, with several regions setting the minimum legal marriage age at 18 while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to retain a lower threshold.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the existing law sets the minimum marriage age for girls at 16. As a result, marriage and rukhsati involving girls below 16 are prohibited. A proposal seeking to raise the minimum age to 18 was recently presented in the provincial assembly, but the province has not yet enacted legislation making 18 the legal minimum.

In Punjab, the 2026 Child Marriage Restraint law sets the minimum legal marriage age at 18 for both boys and girls. The law also prevents Nikah registrars from registering marriages involving anyone under 18 and introduces stricter penalties for adults, parents, guardians, and others who facilitate underage marriages.

Sindh has maintained an 18-year minimum age for both males and females under its 2013 legislation. Meanwhile, the Islamabad Capital Territory adopted an 18-year minimum under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025, while Balochistan also raised the legal marriage age to 18 through legislation passed in 2025.

The strengthened legal measures are intended to protect children from the consequences of early marriage, including interruptions to education, health-related risks, and other safety and social concerns. The differences in minimum-age laws across provinces, however, mean that the legal position still varies depending on the region.