ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has strongly opposed the recently enacted Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, calling for nationwide protest rallies to raise public awareness against the law.
The legislation, designed to prohibit marriages under the age of 18 in Islamabad, was signed into law on May 27 after approval by both houses of Parliament.
Opposition Rooted in Religious Concerns
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Fazlur Rehman criticized the law, alleging that it makes “fornication easier while making legitimate marriages difficult.” He referenced previous reforms under General Musharraf that decriminalized fornication, arguing that such changes contradict Islamic teachings.
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which advises the government on Islamic matters, also ruled that classifying marriage under 18 as rape was not in line with Islamic law.
Fazl claimed the legislation contradicts the Quran and Sunnah, expressing concerns over what he described as the “trampling” of constitutional guarantees.
Plans for Protests and Awareness Campaigns
Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that JUI-F will organize a series of rallies culminating in a large conference in Hazara Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on June 29.
Unlike previous protests focused on specific issues such as the Al-Aqsa Mosque, these rallies aim to promote national sovereignty and Islamic governance alongside opposition to the child marriage law.
Fazl emphasized that Islam is a dynamic faith capable of benefiting society and vowed to present their stance openly.
Child marriages remain common in some rural parts of Pakistan, often driven by poverty and limited education. According to a 2019 World Health Organization report, about 21 percent of Pakistani girls are married before age 18. Various provincial attempts to regulate child marriage, such as bills passed in Sindh and proposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Senate, have faced similar resistance from religious parties including JUI-F.
