LAHORE:
The Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development has taken a significant step by setting 18 as the legal minimum age for marriage for both boys and girls across the province, scrapping the earlier provision that had allowed girls to marry at the age of 16.
The committee unanimously approved The Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 to curb the child
marriages and strengthening child protection laws in the province.
It further declares child marriage a cognizable, non-detainable and non-complaintable offence, enabling immediate police action and preventing any private settlement of such cases.
Under the proposed law, any person involved in facilitating child marriage, including the adult spouse, parents or guardians, Nikah registrars or any other intermediary, could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 1 million.
The law also categorizes cohabitation after such marriage as child abuse, with harsher penalties, and mandates that all such cases be decided by the courts within 90 days.
During the meeting, the committee also directed the municipal secretary to finalize draft rules under the bill and submit them to the committee for final approval within 60 days.
The committee noted that the legislation would play a vital role in eliminating child marriage, addressing gender disparities and strengthening legal protection of children in Punjab.
The meeting of the standing committee was held in the Punjab Assembly under the chairmanship of MPA Muhammad Ashraf Rasool.
The Provincial Minister for Local Government and Community Development attended the session along with officials from the Punjab Assembly Secretariat and other relevant departments.
