By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: Search for Justice, in collaboration with the Child Rights Movement Punjab and the Children Advocacy Network, has welcomed the notification of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, terming it a significant legislative advancement for child protection in the province.
The Ordinance establishes eighteen years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both girls and boys and strengthens the penal framework by declaring child marriage a cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable offence.
It also introduces enhanced penalties, including provisions addressing child abuse and trafficking linked to child marriage.
Civil society coalitions, including Search for Justice, Child Rights Movement Punjab, and the Children Advocacy Network, have consistently advocated for raising the minimum age of marriage to eighteen years in line with constitutional guarantees and Pakistan’s international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“This development reflects an important policy commitment toward strengthening legal safeguards for children,” said Iftikhar Mubarik, Executive Director of Search for Justice. “The establishment of eighteen years as the uniform minimum age of marriage sends a clear message that child marriage will not be tolerated.”
As the Ordinance is expected to be laid before the Punjab Assembly for formal enactment, the coalition emphasised that this stage provides an opportunity to further refine certain implementation safeguards. These may include explicit liability of individuals solemnising child marriages, strengthened age verification mechanisms, and enhanced child-centred protection measures to support affected children.
“Legislative reform is an important milestone, but its success will ultimately depend on effective enforcement, institutional coordination, and sustained public awareness,” Mubarik added.
Search for Justice, together with Child Rights Movement Punjab and the Children Advocacy Network, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting implementation and monitoring efforts to ensure that the reform translates into meaningful and sustained protection for children across Punjab.
