Pakistan’s Catholic Leaders Hail Landmark Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill

In a joint statement issued on April 29, the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (PCBC) and its human rights arm, the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) have welcomed the Punjab Assembly’s passage of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026.

This legislation, passed on April 27, marks a significant victory for child rights advocates by establishing 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage for both boys and girls across the province.

In a further move to protect minors, the law now classifies underage marriage as a non-bailable offense, providing authorities with more rigorous tools to curb the practice.

Bishop Samson Shukardin, President of the PCBC and Chairperson of the NCJP, joined Fr. Bernard Emmanuel, National Director, and Naeem Yousaf Gill, Executive Director, NCJP to hail the bill as a defining move to safeguard the dignity of future generations.

The leadership emphasized that this legislative step is essential for upholding the rights and childhood of the youth in Punjab.

The move addresses a critical issue in the region, where underage marriage has long been a deep-rooted practice often driven by social convention, economic pressures, or the misuse of tradition. By setting a uniform age of 18, the law aims to prevent the premature transition of children into adult responsibilities, which frequently leads to health complications, the cessation of education, and limited economic opportunities.

The Church leaders emphasized that no child should be robbed of their potential or forced into marriage before they have reached physical and mental maturity.

The leadership further noted that a society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, and this law provides the legal framework to ensure that childhood remains a season of learning and growth rather than one of premature adult burden. They declared that this is not just a legal victory, but a necessary step toward the holistic development of the nation.

Despite the legislative success, the NCJP leadership cautioned that the law’s effectiveness depends entirely on strict and uncompromising enforcement.

They noted that passing a law alone will not end deep-rooted social practices and called for total accountability among union councils, marriage registrars, and the police.

The commission stated that courts must enforce the law without exception and urged that no individual or institution be permitted to bypass these protections under the guise of local custom or tradition.

The NCJP issued a specific appeal to Pakistan’s Christian community to embrace and uphold this new legal standard in the interest of the next generation.

Reaffirming their mission, the NCJP stated they remain committed to advocating for the protection and rights of all children in Pakistan, regardless of their religious or social background.