Punjab set to criminalise under-18 marriage via ordinance

• Adults marrying minors face two years in prison.
• Ordinance to be tabled in next PA session.
• Parents aiding child marriage face up to three years’ jail.
  

LAHORE: In a major move to curb child marriage, the Punjab government is preparing to criminalise marriages involving anyone under the age of 18 through a new ordinance.

The proposed Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance will be tabled in the next session of the Punjab Assembly, The News reported.

According to the draft ordinance, any person aged 18 or above who marries a minor will face at least two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs500,000.

The legislation also targets facilitators, as parents or guardians who arrange or facilitate a child’s marriage may face two to three years in prison.

In a key provision, the ordinance stipulates that cohabitation or a conjugal relationship with a minor after such a marriage will be treated as child abuse, punishable with five to seven years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs1 million.

Under the proposal, all cases registered under the ordinance will be tried by sessions courts, and the court will be bound to conclude the trial and announce a verdict within 90 days.

Similar legislation is already in force at the federal level and in Sindh.

In May last year, Parliament passed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, setting the minimum age for marriage at 18. Under the law, a man above 18 who marries an underage girl may face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment.

Nikah registrars will be barred from solemnising a marriage if either the bride or the groom is under 18, and any registrar found violating the law may face up to one year in prison and a fine of Rs100,000.

The law further provides that if a court becomes aware that an underage marriage is being arranged or has taken place, it may issue an order to stop it.

Any person informing the court may request confidentiality, and the court will be required to ensure their protection.