LAHORE:The Punjab Assembly in its upcoming sitting is likely to pass the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 that will strictly enforce 18 years as the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls in the province.
Sindh has already passed this legislation to stop early marriages. Any person serving as the facilitator in the marriage of persons aging below 18 years can face up to seven years of imprisonment.
The Bill has been approved unanimously by the Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development.A meeting of the Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development was held on Monday at the Punjab Assembly under the chairmanship of Muhammad Ashraf Rasool, MPA.
The minister for local government and community development specially participated in the meeting.Officers from the Punjab Assembly Secretariat and other relevant departments were also present.
At the outset of the meeting, Fateha was offered for the sister of the PA Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, for former Governor of Punjab Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa and for Sardar Ali Hussain Khan Baloch.
During the meeting, the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 was briefly discussed and was passed unanimously by the committee.The bill sets 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both boys and girls across Punjab, abolishing the earlier provision that permitted the marriage of girls at the age of 16.
It further declares child marriage a cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable 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 facilitator, may face up to 7 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs1 million.
The law also categorises cohabitation after such marriage as child abuse, carrying stricter punishment, and directs that all such cases be decided by the courts within 90 days.
The committee observed that the bill aims to eliminate underage marriages, remove gender-based discrimination, and strengthen child protection laws in Punjab.The committee further directed the Secretary, Local Government, to prepare the final draft of the rules under this bill and present it before the committee within 60 days for final approval by the committee.
Later, the committee also discussed the matter regarding the demolition issue in Minaret City, Shahkot, raised by Rana Muhammad Arshad Khan. The Deputy Commissioner, Shahkot, briefed the committee on the matter and assured the members that all actions would be taken strictly in accordance with merit and the law.
