Council of Islamic Ideology Rejects Ban on Underage Marriage

The CII stated that it opposed a bill passed by the National Assembly and Senate that aimed to ban marriage for individuals under 18, as it did not agree with the proposed age limit.
Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi chaired a meeting on Tuesday, during which CII members discussed raising the minimum age for marriage to 18. It was found by the Council that choosing a universal legal age for marriage does not reflect Islamic beliefs and highlighted that marriage should be judged in terms of culture, society, and religion.
The Council explained that while it favors educating people to prevent child marriage, it is opposed to making underage marriage an offense or counting it as child abuse. Members said it was crucial to handle marriage problems using methods that respect both Islamic teachings and the values of society.
The Council also spoke against the draft legislation passed by Parliament and ultimately turned down (politely refused) the bill. More internal discussion at the CII will follow before its official recommendations are made public.
There are those who say that making such decisions should be guided by Islamic values and that families should have the liberty to do so inside the rules of the religion. They say that instead of creating age restrictions, steps should be taken to guarantee couples agree to marriage and stop forced marital arrangements.
There is still no conclusion to the dispute over child marriage in Pakistan, as provinces want change but religious groups protest that the adoption of those laws would go against their religious beliefs.
Since public attention is focused on the issue, members of parliament are being urged to offer a resolution that fulfills the needs of both religious and legal principles and protects Pakistan’s young people.