The Pakistani president has signed a new bill into law which bans child marriage in Islamabad.
Fixing the minimum legal age of marriage in the capital region at 18, the ban represents a step forward for protecting girls from forced marriages, with Christian and Hindu girls particularly vulnerable to the practice.
The Child Marriage Restraint Bill tightens regulations surrounding marriage and states that men who marry underage girls could face anything from a fine up to three years in jail. Furthermore, it protects confidentiality for people who inform courts of upcoming child marriages, ensuring that more can be prevented before they take place.
Some have expressed hope that the legislation signifies a path of reform in Pakistan. However, strong opposition to the bill remains, with the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which advises government figures, describing it as “un-Islamic”.
Forced child marriage, as well as abduction and sexual violence, has been a major problem in Pakistan and girls from minority Christian and Hindu communities have been disproportionately affected by this.
According to a study carried out in 2014 by Muslim charity Movement of Solidarity and Peace, it was estimated that 500 Christian girls were abducted, raped and forced into Islamic marriages every year, and activists believe that figure is now likely higher.
Juliet Chowdry, trustee of the British Asian Christian Association (BACA), believes regulations must be tightened further: “More needs to be done to protect these victims. It is deeply unjust that abducted girls are not immediately returned to their families but are instead placed in Dar-ul-Aman (Women Shelter Homes) while the courts deliberate on the legality of marriages that should be void due to the girls’ age.
“This broken system must change. A further update to the legislation is urgently required to ensure justice, transparency, and genuine protection for vulnerable children and their families.”
