A legislative committee in Pakistan’s Punjab province has unanimously approved a proposed law that would set the minimum age for Christian marriage at 18 for both men and women and introduce new requirements for registration and consent.
The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights and Minority Affairs approved the Christian Marriage Bill 2026 on 30 September. The bill must still be passed by the provincial assembly and complete the remaining legislative process before it can become law.
The proposed legislation would replace the Christian Marriage Act of 1872, which dates back to the British colonial period. Falbous Christopher, chairman of the standing committee, introduced the measure as a private member’s bill in April.
Christopher said the bill was intended to update the legal framework governing Christian marriages and provide clearer protections for individual rights. He said the existing law sets the marriage age at 16 for boys and 13 for girls, while the proposed legislation would establish the same minimum age of 18 for both partners.
Another major provision would require Christian marriages to be formally registered with local union councils and recorded by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
The bill would also introduce procedures requiring written notice and public announcement before a marriage takes place, together with arrangements for maintaining official marriage records. The proposed system would provide Christian couples with a formal means of documenting their marriages through Pakistan’s civil registration system.
Under the proposed law, both people entering the marriage would have to be Christian. Marriage ceremonies could be conducted by qualified pastors serving churches registered with the Punjab government or by government-appointed marriage registrars.
The legislation would also remove restrictions concerning the day or time on which Christian wedding ceremonies can take place.
Supporters of the bill say the proposed changes could strengthen protections surrounding marriage, particularly through equal minimum-age requirements, formal registration and safeguards for free consent.
However, the legislation is not yet law. Its final provisions, as well as the way any new requirements would be implemented, will depend on the remaining stages of consideration by the Punjab Assembly.
If passed and effectively enforced, the proposed changes would represent a significant revision of the legal framework governing Christian marriages in Punjab, replacing provisions that have remained in place since the 19th century.
Based on reporting by International Christian Concern.
