A petition has been filed in the Federal Shariat Court questioning the Islamic legitimacy of the newly passed Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025. The law, signed by President Asif Ali Zardari on May 30, sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 for girls.
Citizen Shehzada Adnan, represented by Advocate Mudassar Chaudhry, submitted the plea, naming the Ministry of Interior and its secretary as respondents. The petitioner argued that the legislation contradicts Islamic teachings, claiming it goes against the Holy Quran, Sunnah, and Hadith. Several Quranic verses were cited to support the stance that Islamic law does not prescribe a fixed age for marriage.
The petition also opposed the law’s punishment clause, which includes imprisonment with hard labour. It termed such penalties unconstitutional and inconsistent with Islamic values, suggesting that criminalising underage marriage violates religious freedoms guaranteed to citizens.
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The plea urged the court to strike down the bill and stop law enforcement from registering cases under it. Meanwhile, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had already rejected the bill in a separate development. The CII declared the law’s age limit and associated punishments contrary to Sharia.
The bill, introduced by PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui as a private member’s initiative, aims to safeguard minors from early marriage and aligns with international child protection standards. However, it has triggered significant opposition from religious circles, sparking a legal and ideological debate.