'I will attend marriages of 10-year-olds': JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman opposes Pakistan's child marriage ban | WATCH

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman sparked outrage by opposing Pakistan’s child marriage ban, calling it “anti-Islamic” and vowing to defy the law. Religious leaders and the Council of Islamic Ideology also challenge the legislation, citing Sharia concerns.

Did our AI summary help?

Senior Pakistani cleric and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman sparked widespread outrage last week after openly opposing landmark legislation aimed at banning child marriages and preventing domestic violence. His comments have spotlighted the deep resistance within Pakistan’s political and religious establishment to reforms that are meant to protect children and uphold their rights.

Rehman stood in the National Assembly and declared he would personally attend unions of children as young as 10 to defy the law. He labelled the proposed reforms “anti-Islamic” and suggested the government’s efforts to end child marriage were contrary to Sharia.

Rehman stood in the National Assembly and declared he would personally attend unions of children as young as 10 to defy the law. He labelled the proposed reforms “anti-Islamic” and suggested the government’s efforts to end child marriage were contrary to Sharia.

Pakistan: The JUI-F leader sparked backlash in Pakistan’s Parliament by opposing bills to ban child marriages, vowing to personally attend or arrange weddings for girls as young as 10 to defy the law, and labeling the reforms “anti-Islamic.” pic.twitter.com/vnf8cQyoj3

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 26, 2026

The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act, signed into law in May 2025 by President Asif Ali Zardari, sets the minimum legal age of marriage at 18 for both boys and girls in the federal capital. The legislation makes solemnising, facilitating, or participating in underage marriages a punishable offence. It was hailed by rights advocates as a landmark step toward ending child marriage and protecting children’s rights.

Civil society and human rights groups argue that child marriage often leads to lifelong inequality, early childbirth with health risks, and the deepening of poverty. Activists have repeatedly pointed out that establishing 18 as the legal age for marriage aligns Pakistan with international human rights standards and Islamic jurisprudence that recognises the importance of maturity and consent in marriage.

Despite these reforms, Rehman and other conservative religious leaders have launched a sustained campaign against the law. He has stated that defining anyone under 18 as a minor whose marriage could be considered rape contradicts Islamic principles and should not be enforced. He has also questioned the constitutionality of the law, framing it as an imposition on Islamic identity and governance.

Religious bodies such as the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) have also rejected the child marriage bill, characterising parts of it as incompatible with their interpretation of Islamic teachings. The CII has urged the president not to sign such legislation, and a challenge to the law has been filed in the Federal Shariat Court, arguing it is “ultra vires and against the basic fundamental laws” of Sharia.