Bishops in Pakistan hail approval of revised Marriage Act

By Lisa Zengarini

Christian leaders in Pakistan have welcomed the final passage of a new law that raises the minimum age of marriage for Christian boys and girls to 18.

The new law, amending the Christian Marriage Act of 1872, was unanimously approved by the National Assembly this week after being passed in the Senate a few months ago.

Under the previous law, dating back to the days of British rule in India, girls could marry as young as 13, while boys could marry at 16.

Protecting Christian Girls from Forced Marriage

Christians in Pakistan have long called for the change to protect girls in particular from sexual abuse and forced child marriage, often linked to abductions for forced conversion.

The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan (CBCP), Bishop Samson Shukardin, along with the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), joined other Christians in expressing satisfaction over the final approval of the legislation.

“We extend our sincere thanks to the entire Parliament for unanimously passing this bill,” they said in a statement. “This legislation will play a crucial role in protecting our young girls and minors from forced conversions and child marriages. We hope that the government will take further steps to criminalize forced religious conversions,” it continued.

The New Law on Christian Marriage

The new Christian Marriage Act requires that marriage “be solemnized and registered only when both contracting parties have reached the age of 18 years.”

The law also provides that in the event of a dispute regarding the age of a contracting party, the court shall determine the age on the basis of a computerized national identity card, birth certificate, school certificate or any other relevant document. In the absence of these documents, the age may be determined on the basis of a medical examination report.