The government of Punjab in Pakistan has introduced new legal measures raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 for both males and females, in what Christian advocates have described as a significant step towards protecting vulnerable children.
On 11 February, Governor Saleem Haider Khan approved the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026 under Article 128(1) of the Constitution, as the provincial assembly is not currently in session. The ordinance takes immediate effect across Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, which is home to more than 120 million people, including a sizeable Christian community.
The new law replaces parts of the long-standing Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929. Under the previous legislation, the legal marriage age was 18 for men and 16 for women. The updated ordinance removes this distinction and sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage for both sexes.
The ordinance introduces stricter criminal penalties for anyone involved in arranging, conducting or promoting a marriage involving a person under 18. Offenders may face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to 1 million Pakistani rupees.
All offences under the new framework are classified as cognisable and non-bailable. This means police may register cases without prior court approval, bail is not automatic, and cases cannot be privately settled between the parties involved.
Marriage registrars, known as Nikah Khawans, are also prohibited from registering marriages where either party is under 18. Violations can lead to imprisonment of up to one year and financial penalties.
Adults who marry a child may receive between two and three years’ rigorous imprisonment, along with substantial fines. The ordinance further states that cohabitation arising from a child marriage will be treated as child abuse, carrying penalties of five to seven years’ imprisonment and significant fines, regardless of any claimed consent by the minor.
Parents or guardians who arrange, allow or fail to prevent a child marriage may also face criminal liability, including prison sentences and fines. Cases under the ordinance will be heard in Courts of Session and are to be concluded within 90 days, in an effort to prevent lengthy delays.
Christian representatives have welcomed the move and called for the ordinance to be adopted permanently when the Punjab Assembly reconvenes.
Ejaz Alam Augustine, a Christian member of the provincial assembly and former minister for human rights and minority affairs, said setting 18 as the standard minimum age sends a clear message that child marriage will not be accepted.
He noted that the reform aligns more closely with constitutional protections and Pakistan’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Augustine also expressed hope that the strengthened law would help protect underage girls, including those from minority backgrounds, from forced marriages and coerced religious conversions disguised as legitimate unions.
Tehmina Arora, director of advocacy for Asia at ADF International, described the ordinance as an important development, particularly for girls from religious minority communities. She said stronger enforcement would be crucial to preventing abuse and ensuring that the law is applied without discrimination.
Efforts to update child marriage laws in Punjab have faced opposition from some religious figures and political groups. The Council of Islamic Ideology has previously raised objections to setting a statutory minimum age for girls, arguing that Islamic jurisprudence does not specify a fixed age in modern legal terms.
In April 2024, the Lahore High Court ruled that the lower minimum age for girls under the 1929 law was unconstitutional. The court directed the provincial government to amend the legislation.
Although further proposals were discussed in 2024 and 2025, including stricter age-verification requirements, they were not enacted before the governor issued the new ordinance.
The ordinance must be approved by the provincial assembly within a constitutionally defined period or it will lapse. Advocacy groups have urged lawmakers to convert the measure into permanent legislation and to ensure effective implementation across the province.
This is a rewritten version of the original article from Morning Star News.
