In a landmark step toward protecting the rights of minors, President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2024, which sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 years for both boys and girls. The legislation aims to curb child marriage and safeguard minors from forced unions, a long-standing issue in Pakistan.

The new law criminalises the solemnisation of marriages involving anyone below the age of 18, and imposes strict penalties on those who facilitate, register, or officiate such marriages within the federal capital. Rights activists have hailed the move as a long-overdue effort to bring Pakistan in line with international standards on child protection.

However, the bill has sparked sharp criticism from some religious quarters. On Saturday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F), denounced the legislation, calling it “un-Islamic” and “in contradiction to Shariah law.” He announced nationwide protests against the law, asserting that it undermines the country’s Islamic foundations and religious identity.

Religious groups, including leaders from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and several clerics from seminaries across the country, have echoed Fazlur Rehman’s sentiments, warning the government against implementing the bill.

In contrast, many civil society voices have pushed back. Social media platforms saw an outpouring of support for the law, with users criticising religious leaders for opposing a bill focused on child safety. “These groups never protested against child sexual abuse but are outraged by a law protecting minors,” one user noted.

Human rights organizations and child welfare advocates continue to urge the federal and provincial governments to expand the legislation nationwide. Currently, only Sindh and the Islamabad Capital Territory have set the minimum marriage age at 18, while Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan still allow marriages below that age with parental consent or under customary laws.

As tensions rise between reformist legislation and conservative opposition, the fate of child marriage laws in the rest of the country remains uncertain.