New law sets marriage age at 18, but child marriage continues in South Punjab ^{CEFR B1}

Child marriage remains common in parts of Pakistan despite the new national law. In June 2025 a 14-year-old girl in Behal, District Layyah, named Zunaira said she wants to be a science teacher. Her family arranged her marriage to a man twice her age; her mother said, "We don't have a choice." Some local people and a teacher have tried to delay weddings.

In May 2025 Parliament passed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill. The law sets 18 as the legal marriage age, introduces fines and prison for those who arrange or solemnize underage marriages, and gives local authorities power to stop such unions. The PPP welcomed the law, but JUI-F opposed it and Maulana Fazlur Rehman called the measure "contrary to, and trampling, the Quran and Sunnah," and announced nationwide protest rallies.

Studies and agencies show the scale and harm of early marriage. UNICEF reports 29 percent of Pakistani girls marry before 18 and 4 percent before 15. UNESCO and WHO link early marriage to school dropout and higher pregnancy risks. Causes include poverty, weak enforcement, lack of birth documents, and climate-related disasters.