Islamabad, June 1, 2025: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced a nationwide protest campaign against the recently passed Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, denouncing the legislation as contrary to Islamic teachings and an infringement on Pakistan’s religious and cultural identity.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar on Saturday, Fazlur Rehman claimed the bill is being driven by “foreign agendas” and lacks grounding in Islamic principles.
“Pakistan’s identity is rooted in Islam, and this identity is under threat,” he said. “This legislation is not an indigenous initiative — it follows the dictates of the IMF and United Nations, not the Quran and Sunnah.”
He further accused the government of undermining religious institutions and delaying other religiously significant bills. “Even the religious seminaries bill is being stalled, and the President has refused to sign it,” he added.
Calling the child marriage legislation a violation of Islamic jurisprudence, Fazl warned that such measures would alienate religious communities and weaken democratic values.
“When the law contradicts the Quran and Sunnah, democracy loses its credibility. This strengthens the narrative of armed groups and weakens faith in democratic processes,” he said.
The JUI-F leader also referenced historical precedents, claiming that past reforms under former military ruler Pervez Musharraf similarly targeted religious norms.
“There is now ease for fornication but growing restrictions on legitimate marriage. This is unacceptable,” he stated, adding that the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has already rejected the proposed law.
Fazlur Rehman vowed to take the issue to the public, declaring that his party would launch a nationwide protest to oppose what he described as an attempt to “secularize Pakistan through legal manipulation.”
Broader Political and Geopolitical Remarks
During the same press conference, the JUI-F chief also spoke on international affairs, declaring that the world had entered a “new Cold War,” with Asia emerging as a rising power under China’s leadership.
“We spoke of a global revolution after 9/11 — now we are entering a new phase of global alignment,” he said.
He also lashed out at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, blaming him for escalating tensions in the region.
“Modi’s recklessness has pushed South Asia closer to conflict,” he said. “The hopes for peaceful engagement between Pakistan and India are rapidly fading.”
In a lighter remark aimed at domestic politics, Fazl criticized the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), joking that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had now “broken even the corruption records of the People’s Party.”
On regional development, he expressed support for expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan and neighboring countries, calling it a positive step for connectivity and cooperation.
What is the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025?
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, which sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 years for both boys and girls in the federal capital.
Under the new law:
- Nikah Khawans (marriage officiants) are prohibited from solemnising marriages involving minors. Violators face up to one year in prison and a fine of Rs100,000.
- Adult men marrying underage girls may face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment.
- Courts are empowered to take action against underage marriages and protect the identity of whistleblowers reporting such cases.
The bill was introduced in the National Assembly by PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui and presented in the Senate by Senator Sherry Rehman. However, it has faced opposition from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which maintains that Islamic law permits marriage upon reaching puberty, and setting a fixed legal age contradicts certain interpretations of Shariah.
