ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — A day after the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) declared the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, as “un-Islamic,” religious scholars from various schools of thought have appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari not to sign it into law.

The bill, which aims to criminalise child marriages under the age of 18 and enhance protections for minors, was passed by both houses of parliament and sent to the presidency on May 27 for final approval. However, it has drawn strong opposition from conservative and religious circles.

CII member Maulana Jalaludin of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) warned that signing the bill would lead to societal unrest. “This legislation is not just against Sharia but also contradicts the cultural values and traditions of our society,” he said, accusing lawmakers of pushing a Western agenda designed to erode the family system.

He further criticised parliament for not consulting the CII before the bill’s approval. “The assembly cannot override the Quran and Sunnah. Approving such a bill without seeking religious input is dangerous,” he added.

The CII also rejected a separate recommendation from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony that called for mandatory thalassemia screening before marriage, stating that such tests should remain voluntary.

Despite the backlash, supporters of the bill have remained firm. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Sharmila Faruqi, who introduced the legislation in the National Assembly, defended it as a human rights issue rather than a religious one.

“We are not opposing marriage itself,” Faruqi explained. “But allowing girls as young as 13 or 14 to marry is unjust, especially when they cannot vote, obtain a national identity card, or drive until they are 18.”

She also cited a 2022 ruling by the Federal Shariat Court, which affirmed the state’s authority to legislate a minimum age for marriage in the interest of public welfare.

Meanwhile, Senator Sherry Rehman urged the CII to reconsider its stance, noting that many Muslim-majority countries have already set 18 as the legal age for marriage.

The controversy intensified after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman delivered a strong speech in the National Assembly, demanding that the bill be sent to the CII for review. JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza echoed this call during Senate deliberations.

Despite this pressure, most senators — including those from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — voted in favour of tabling the bill in the Senate for approval, as moved by Senator Rehman, rather than forwarding it to the CII.

The final decision now rests with President Zardari, whose assent is required to enact the bill into law.