Legislation on underage marriage challenged at the Federal Shariat Court
A citizen has submitted a petition to the Federal Shariat Court contesting the newly approved Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025, which forbids the marriage of females below the age of 18.
The petition, submitted by Shehzada Adnan via his attorney Advocate Mudasar Chaudhry, contended that the law contradicts the principles of the Quran and Hadith. The petitioner argued that the law criminalizing teenage marriage and imposing severe incarceration contravened Islamic principles and was unconstitutional.
The petition referenced Quranic texts to substantiate the assertion that Islam does not have a definitive minimum age for marriage. It further claimed that imposing harsh punishment for such cases contravened both constitutional and Islamic norms.
The petitioner has sought a court declaration deeming the statute null and unconstitutional due to its contravention of Shariah, and has requested an injunction against the state from initiating prosecutions under this law until a conclusive ruling is rendered.
