PAKISTAN Islamabad raises minimum age for marriage to 18 to protect Christians

A measure that the country’s churches have long been calling for in order to combat the phenomenon of early marriages, often linked to kidnappings. Episcopal Conference: “More measures will now be adopted to criminalise forced religious conversions.”

Islamabad () – Pakistan has finally approved a law raising the minimum age for marriage to 18 for both boys and girls from the Christian minority. At the proposal of MP Naveed Amir Jeeva, the National Assembly of Pakistan unanimously approved the bill, already approved by the Senate, which modifies the Christian Marriage Act of 1872. Until now, the minimum age had remained unchanged at 13 for girls and 16 for boys, a legacy of the past that has made it more difficult to protect minors, and girls in particular, from sexual abuse and child marriage.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, through its human rights body, the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), has warmly welcomed the passage of the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Archbishop Samson Shukardin, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, along with Fr Bernard Emmanuel, National Director of Justice Peace, and Naeem Yousaf, Executive Director of the NCJP, expressed their appreciation in a joint statement. The leaders stressed that this amendment is in response to a long-standing demand. “This law will play a crucial role in protecting our girls and minors from forced conversions and child marriage,” they said. “We hope that the government will take further steps to criminalise forced religious conversions,” they added.

“This law was introduced with the consensus of all the major churches in Pakistan,” Naeem Yousaf Gill told . “We are confident that this law will protect our girls and guarantee their fundamental rights, especially the right to education, health and other accessory rights. The law requires that marriage be solemnized and registered only when the age of both parties is eighteen years. The law also provides that in case of a dispute over the age of the parties, the court will determine the age on the basis of an identity card, birth certificate, school certificates or any other relevant document. In the absence of these documents, it may be determined on the basis of a medical report.”

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