Cracking Down on Child Marriage: A Landmark Law Enforced in Punjab

In a significant enforcement of new legal provisions, a 50-year-old man was apprehended for marrying a 13-year-old girl in Pakistan's Punjab province. This comes under a freshly instituted regulation categorizing underage marriage as a non-bailable offense. Authorities took action on Wednesday by registering a First Information Report (FIR) in the Daska district, approximately 150 kilometers from Lahore.

The legislation, now known as the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026, stipulates stringent penalties. Spanning up to three years of rigorous imprisonment, it imposes fines reaching up to PKR 500,000 for adults marrying individuals below 18. It marks a pivotal policy shift considering the prior legal marriage age of 16.

Furthermore, the act criminalizes parents, guardians, and nikah registrars who facilitate or fail to prevent such marriages. Cohabitation resulting from a child marriage is deemed child abuse, carrying substantial fines and imprisonment. Amidst social challenges, the law signals a bid to curb child marriages and promote protective measures for minors.

(With inputs from agencies.)