LAHORE:
The Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development has taken a significant step by setting 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both boys and girls across the province, abolishing the previous provision that allowed girls to marry at the age of 16.
The committee unanimously passed the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2026 to curb the child.
marriages and strengthen child protection laws in the province.
It further declares child marriage as a cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence, allowing for immediate police action and preventing any private settlement of such cases.
Under the proposed law, anyone involved in facilitating child marriage, including the adult spouse, parents or guardians, Nikah registrars or any other facilitators, can face up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 1 million.
The law also classifies cohabitation after such marriage as child abuse, which carries stricter punishment, and mandates that all such cases be decided by the courts within 90 days.
During the meeting, the committee also directed the secretary of local government to finalize the draft rules of the bill and submit it to the committee for final approval within 60 days.
The committee observed that the legislation would play a vital role in eliminating child marriages, addressing gender disparity and strengthening legal protections for children in Punjab.
The standing committee meeting 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.
