House also praised Balochistan Assembly for passing Child Marriage Prohibition Act 2025
A file photo of the Sindh Assembly. PHOTO: PPI
KARACHI:
The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the federal and provincial governments to establish a uniform minimum age of marriage of 18 for both girls and boys across the country.
The resolution, moved by PPP MPA Maleeha Manzoor, received resounding support from both the treasury and opposition benches, reflecting a rare cross-party consensus on a critical human rights issue.
Lawmakers welcomed President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, which legally sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage. The House also praised the Balochistan Assembly for passing the Child Marriage Prohibition Bill 2025, adopting the same standard and criminalizing child marriage across the province.
The resolution proudly recalled that Sindh became the first province to legislate against child marriage through the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013, underscoring its longstanding commitment to the dignity, welfare and protection of children, especially girls.
Speaking on the floor of the house, Manzoor praised the PPP leadership for steering these progressive reforms at both the provincial and federal levels.
The resolution also reiterated Pakistan’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), stressing that a uniform definition of a child is essential for equal protection in all provinces. “A child remains a child regardless of province or region, and uniform legislation is not only a legal necessity – it is a moral and constitutional responsibility,” Manzoor added.
The House reaffirmed that harmonization of child marriage laws nationwide is essential to fulfill constitutional guarantees, comply with international obligations and ensure the physical and mental well-being of every child. The Assembly urged the remaining provinces to enact similar legislation without delay to help eliminate child marriage across Pakistan.
JI resolution on law and order shot down
The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday rejected a resolution moved by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for a debate on what it called the province’s “deteriorating law and order situation”, even as the House approved other opposition-backed resolutions, including one demanding a holiday on the death anniversary of Pakistan’s first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khanbads Electric and another. The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Naveed Anthony, marked the Private Members’ Day, which allowed non-government lawmakers to move resolutions.
JI’s Muhammad Farooq while presenting his resolution warned that citizens were living in fear and urged the government to restore public security. “Crime is increasing and the people don’t feel protected,” he said.
