ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the Parliament passed nine bills on Monday— including the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025— that seeks to restrain underage marriages in the federal capital, amidst walkout from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) against the bill.
Already passed by the National Assembly, the bill is en-route to become a law once assented by President Asif Ali Zardari.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman moved the bill in the Senate session, presided over by Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan.
Speaking on the occasion, Rehman said, the bill seeks to ban the marriages of girls below the age of 18. “This bill is not against religion. It aims at protection of the rights of underage girls. You just can’t allow the marriages of minors. This is not just right,” she said.
Kamran Murtaza from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) opposed the bill. He demanded that the opinion of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) be sought regarding the bill. Dost Muhammad Khan from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also demanded that the bill be sent to CII for its opinion. Aimal Wali Khan from Awami National Party (ANP) said Nikah is linked to adulthood, not age. “The real problem is forced marriages that need to be stopped,” he said.
PPP’s Farooq Naek said any specific age for attaining adulthood is not defined in Islam. Under the law, 18 years is the age of legally reaching adulthood, he said.
JUI-F Parliamentary Leader in Senate Atta Ur Rehman led a walkout from the Senate in protest to this bill.
The bill was finally passed by the House.
The Senate also passed the Trade Organisations (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, also already approved by NA. According to this bill, under the Trade Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2025, the two years’ tenure for office-bearers under this law shall apply only to those elected on or after the enactment of the Trade Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2025. “It is in the interest of the organisations and all trade bodies that the elections to be conducted in accordance with the Trade Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2022, to ensure the continued smooth operation of trade bodies established under the Act,” reads the Statement of Objects and Reasons of this bill.
Seven other bills passed by the House are The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, University of Innovation and Technology Bill, 2023, Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2024, National Highways Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2024, China Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and Pakistan Names and Emblems (Prevention of Unauthorised Use) (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
The House was adjourned till Thursday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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