Pakistan Churches Reject Punjab Marriage Law Amendments, Plan Unified Draft

Christian leaders in Pakistan’s Punjab reject proposed amendments to the 1872 marriage law, calling for broader consultation and a unified church-backed draft.

Newsroom (27/04/2026 Gaudium Press )  Catholic and Protestant churches in Pakistan’s Punjab province have rejected proposed amendments to the colonial-era Christian Marriage Act of 1872, announcing plans to form a joint committee to prepare an alternative draft reflecting broader consensus.

The decision followed an ecumenical consultation held April 24–25 in Lahore, organized by the Archdiocese of Lahore. The gathering brought together priests, pastors, and nuns to review a bill introduced earlier this month in the Punjab provincial Assembly.

The amendment bill, tabled on April 9 by Christian lawmaker Falbous Christopher, seeks to raise the minimum legal marriage age for Christian boys and girls to 18. It also proposes restricting marriages under the law to unions where both parties are Christian, replacing an existing provision that allows marriages between Christians and non-Christians.

While acknowledging the need to modernize the 153-year-old legislation, Archbishop Khalid Rehmat of Lahore stressed that any changes to Christian personal laws must involve thorough consultation with church leadership.

“We cannot allow changes to Christian family laws without the endorsement and consultation of churches,” Rehmat said during the April 25 session. He also announced the formation of a representative committee from mainstream churches to draft a unified proposal within the coming months.

Punjab’s Minister for Minority Affairs, Ramesh Singh Arora, who attended the consultation, supported the call for caution, agreeing that the bill should not be rushed without input from church authorities.

The debate comes amid heightened concern over forced conversions and child marriages in Pakistan. These concerns intensified following a controversial March 25 ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, which upheld the marriage of a 13-year-old Christian girl, Maria Bibi, to a 30-year-old Muslim man.

Legal experts at the consultation raised strong objections to the proposed amendments. Advocate Qamar Iqbal described the bill as “hurried” and “a disaster,” criticizing it for omitting key provisions related to the nullity of marriage and penalties for false declarations or unauthorized solemnization by unlicensed clergy.

Iqbal also argued that reform of the Christian Marriage Act should be undertaken at the national level rather than limited to Punjab province.

Church leaders echoed the need for deeper scrutiny. Bishop Nadeem Kamran of the Church of Pakistan emphasized that the bill must be reviewed both theologically and in alignment with church teachings. “We have reservations about removing some provisions from the existing law and adding others,” he said.

Reuben Qamar, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan, noted that the federal government had already amended the law in 2024 to raise the legal marriage age to 18. He urged policymakers to engage church leadership more meaningfully to ensure that legislative changes genuinely reflect the concerns of the Christian community.

The planned ecumenical committee is expected to produce a consolidated draft aimed at presenting a unified position from Pakistan’s Christian denominations on the future of marriage law reform.

• Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News

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