News Desk
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s failure to enforce a unified legal marriage age continues to leave millions of girls vulnerable to early marriage, despite growing national and international pressure to act. At a high-level consultation held Friday in Islamabad, the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) issued a renewed call for nationwide standardization, urging all provinces to adopt 18 as the legal minimum age for marriage.
The event, co-hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Legal Aid Society, brought together lawmakers, law enforcement officials, civil society leaders, and community advocates to confront the persistent gaps in child marriage legislation.
Ume Laila Azhar, chairperson of the NCSW, opened the session with a pointed critique of Pakistan’s fragmented legal landscape. “Sindh has led the way, but the rest of Pakistan must follow,” she said, referencing the province’s existing law that sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage. “Children deserve equal protection, regardless of geography.”
Participants proposed a series of reforms aimed at curbing underage marriages, including:
- Mandatory CNIC verification and digitization of nikah registration
- Specialized police training and increased appointment of female Station House Officers
- Expanded resources and authority for the Sindh Child Protection Authority
Shaheena Sher Ali, Minister for Women’s Development in Sindh, spoke candidly about the challenges faced by survivors. “We’ve intervened in cases of child marriage, abuse, and abduction. These are not statistics—they are lives disrupted,” she said.
The consultation concluded with a unified call to action: strengthen enforcement of the Child Marriage Restraint Act (CMRA), engage religious leaders in awareness campaigns, and ensure coordinated efforts between government and civil society.
Yet critics argue that such calls have become ritualistic in a country where legal inertia and political hesitancy routinely undermine reform. While Sindh’s legislation offers a model, other provinces remain stalled—either by religious opposition, bureaucratic indifference, or lack of political will.
Pakistan’s patchwork approach has drawn international concern, with rights groups warning that the absence of a national standard perpetuates cycles of poverty, abuse, and gender inequality. Enforcement remains weak even where laws exist, and survivors often face stigma, silence, or institutional neglect.
“This is not just a legislative issue—it’s a moral failure,” said one civil society advocate attending the consultation. “Pakistan cannot afford to treat child marriage as a provincial inconvenience. It is a national crisis.”
