Fazlur Rehman announces nationwide protests against child marriage bill

Express Tribune

01-06-2025

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Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced nationwide protest against proposed legislation restricting underage marriages, calling the bill contrary to Islamic teachings and an attack on Pakistan's religious identity.
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar on Saturday, Fazl claimed the law is being shaped under foreign influence. 'Pakistan's identity is Islam, and that identity is under threat,' he said.
He accused the government of drafting legislation based on recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and United Nations resolutions, rather than Islamic principles. 'The UN's stance is being used to pass laws against early-age marriages. The President is also refusing to sign the religious seminaries bill,' he added.
Fazl criticised what he described as legislation in violation of the Quran and Sunnah. 'Democracy is losing its case, and such actions are empowering the narratives of armed groups,' he warned.
The JUI-F leader alleged that past legal reforms, including those under former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, had targeted religious values. 'The bottom line is that hurdles are being placed in the way of legitimate marriage while ease is being created for fornication,' he said, adding that the Council of Islamic Ideology had already rejected the proposed child marriage law.
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Declaring a nationwide protest against the bill, Fazl said, 'We will present our viewpoint to the world.'
Commenting on geopolitical matters, he claimed the world had entered a new Cold War era. 'Asia, under China's leadership, is emerging as a new economic power. After 9/11, we spoke of a global revolution. Now we are in a new phase,' he said.
Fazl also took aim at India, stating that 'Modi's foolishness has pushed the region towards war' and that initial hopes for peaceful conflict resolution between Pakistan and India had diminished.
In a lighter moment, he took a swipe at the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying, 'I'm reminded of a joke—PPP is protesting against PTI because they've broken even the corruption records of the People's Party.'
On regional cooperation, he noted the importance of ties with Afghanistan and suggested that extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan and other countries would be a positive development.
What is Child Marriage Bill?
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 into law, setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 years in the federal capital. The new legislation criminalises the solemnisation of marriages where either the boy or girl is underage.
Under the law, no Nikah khuwan (marriage officiant) may conduct a marriage involving minors, with violations punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of Rs100,000.
Additionally, a man over 18 who marries an underage girl may face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The bill also empowers courts to intervene if informed of an underage marriage, including protecting the identity of those reporting such cases.
The bill was initially introduced in the National Assembly by PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui and later presented in the Senate by Senator Sherry Rehman. However, the legislation faced opposition from the CII, which declared the bill contrary to Islamic principles.
The CII, in its advisory response, objected to the bill by arguing that Islamic jurisprudence permits the marriage of girls once they attain puberty, regardless of age. The council maintains that setting a fixed minimum age of 18 for marriage contradicts certain religious interpretations and therefore should not be made legally binding.