A recent law aiming to curb child marriage in Pakistan’s federal capital has sparked a heated legal and religious debate. A petition challenging the Islamic validity of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 has been filed in the Federal Shariat Court by a citizen, Shehzada Adnan, through Advocate Mudassar Chaudhry.
The petition targets the provision that sets the minimum marriage age for girls at 18 years, calling it contrary to Islamic teachings. It argues that the legislation contradicts the Holy Quran, Sunnah, and Hadith, and claims that enforcing such a law infringes upon the religious rights of citizens. The petitioner has requested the court to declare the law unconstitutional and un-Islamic.
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The newly introduced law, signed by President Asif Ali Zardari on May 30, aims to combat child marriages in the federal territory. It is viewed by many as a milestone for children’s rights in Pakistan and aligns with international human rights standards. However, some religious bodies remain unconvinced.
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has also opposed the bill, asserting that setting a legal age limit for marriage is not supported by Sharia. It described the bill and its punitive measures as inconsistent with Islamic principles and criticized the government for not consulting the council prior to passing the legislation.
