ASIA/PAKISTAN – Child marriage now illegal in Balochistan

Quetta – The new “2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage in Balochistan” stipulates strict penalties for adults who facilitate child marriages and declares all marriages involving minors under the age of 18 illegal in the western Pakistani province. Penalties will apply to anyone involved in organizing, facilitating, celebrating, or participating in a child marriage. The law also repeals the previous law that set the minimum marriage age for girls at 14. Under the new regulations, both civil registrars and religious officials will be required to verify the identity of both spouses before the marriage ceremony.
The Bishop of Hyderabad and President of the Pakistan Bishops’ Conference, Samson Shukardin OFM, described the bill as “a historic decision to protect children and an important step toward strengthening the rights of minors.” “We are grateful to the members of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly for approving this law to protect children from child marriage. This law will especially benefit girls who are often forced into marriage at a very young age due to ancient cultural practices. The new law gives children hope and strengthens the rights of minors throughout the country,” he stated. “The Church,” he recalled, “promotes the fundamental rights of every human being, especially those of girls. Early marriage deprives them of their education, their health, and their self-confidence.”
Joel Bastian, a local member of the national Justice and Peace Commission, views the law as “a major legislative victory for the rights of minors in Balochistan, a long-awaited milestone.”
Balochistan is the second province in Pakistan, after Sindh, to pass a law restricting child marriage. A similar regulation was also passed in the federal capital, Islamabad, in 2025.
Despite this legislative progress, Pakistan still ranks near the bottom in the country’s efforts to prevent child marriage. With approximately 1.9 million child marriages, Pakistan has the sixth-highest number worldwide. Nationally, over 21% of girls marry before the age of 18 and 3% before the age of 15.
Child marriage in Pakistan is facilitated by poverty, gender inequality, and cultural norms that prioritize family honor over individual rights. In some regions, marriage is used to settle feuds or reduce household expenses.

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