Minority activists in Pakistan call Punjab’s new child marriage law inadequate, citing failure to address forced conversions of underage girls.
Newsroom (15/04/2026 Gaudium Press ) Minority leaders and human rights activists in Pakistan have voiced deep skepticism over the proposed Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026, warning that it fails to address a core issue—the forced conversion and marriage of underage girls from religious minority communities.
The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development approved the bill on April 13, setting 18 years as the legal minimum age for marriage for both males and females. This change raises the marriage age for girls from 16 to 18, aligning it with that of boys.
Under the new law, marriage registrars (nikah khawans) will face up to one year in prison and fines of 100,000 rupees (about US$358) if they officiate child marriages. All offenses are to be cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, allowing police to act without prior court permission. The law also mandates that related cases be handled by the district Courts of Session and concluded within 90 days.
Punjab’s legislation mirrors similar laws already enacted in Sindh, Balochistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory. However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa still permits the marriage of girls at 16, allowing regional loopholes that activists say enable ongoing abuse.
Concerns from Minority Communities
Religious and minority leaders have emphasized that while the bill formalizes a higher marriage age, it fails to address forced conversions, which often serve as a pretext for underage marriages. The issue was underscored in “Captive Souls: The Untold Story of Pakistan’s Minority Girls”, an April 11 report from the Catholic Bishop’s National Commission for Justice and Peace, which documented 10 cases of alleged forced conversions among non-Muslim girls.
Naeem Yousaf Gil, executive director of the commission, dismissed the bill as insufficient.
“It does not apply to a non-Muslim who is converted to Islam. Without setting a minimum age for conversion, the law cannot stop forced conversions,” he told UCA News.
Gil also urged tighter oversight of marriage officiants and stronger institutional support for affected families.
“Punishing one individual will not discourage this disturbing trend. The entire religious network of clerics officiating such marriages should be banned. Sadly, the system does not support non-Muslim parents of abducted girls,” he said.
Legal Gaps and Court Controversy
Kashif Alexander, chairman of the Christian Lawyers Association in Pakistan, acknowledged that the bill strengthens penalties but noted several legal ambiguities.
“It defines cohabitation involving a minor as child abuse, punishable by five to seven years in prison and a fine of one million rupees, but it does not explicitly address whether such marriages are legally void,” he explained.
The debate gained new urgency after the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) ruling on March 25 that upheld the marriage of 13-year-old Christian girl Maria Shahbaz to a 30-year-old Muslim man. Her family alleged abduction, forced conversion, and marriage without consent.
Alexander warned the court’s judgment could undermine the proposed law.
“The FCC ruling, citing Islamic law that permits a Muslim man to marry a Christian woman as Ahl al-Kitab [People of the Book], has raised concerns that it may create a legal window for abductors to circumvent the proposed legislation,” he said.
Calls for Uniform Laws and Broader Protection
Kapil Dev, a Hindu rights activist based in Karachi, said the new bill is “progressive in appearance but weak in practice.”
“Victims, often minors, are abducted in Sindh and taken to Punjab for immediate conversion and marriage, exploiting legal differences between provinces,” he stated.
He called for nationwide uniformity in marriage laws and a separate legal framework for interfaith marriages that would prevent conversion being used as a shield.
“Conversion is often used to legitimize such marriages, bypassing checks on age and consent. The criminal justice system remains biased, and poor families are especially vulnerable,” he added.
Rights groups estimate that 15 to 20 underage girls from minority backgrounds fall victim to forced conversion and marriage each month, though the real number is likely higher due to underreporting. Census data from 2023 records Pakistan’s Hindu population at 3.9 million (1.61%) and Christian population at 3.3 million (1.37%), reflecting the vast number of potential victims in marginalized communities.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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