Latest news with #SherryRehman
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
President Zardari signs bill into law to curb child marriage
Listen to article President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 years across Pakistan. The new legislation criminalises the solemnisation of marriages where either the boy or girl is underage. Under the law, no Nikah khuwan (marriage officiant) may conduct a marriage involving minors, with violations punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of Rs100,000. Additionally, a man over 18 who marries an underage girl may face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The bill also empowers courts to intervene if informed of an underage marriage, including protecting the identity of those reporting such cases. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman hailed the bill as a landmark victory in the fight against child marriage, describing it as a crucial step toward protecting the rights of women and children. 'This law is a result of a long and difficult struggle, and it will help improve the education and health of young girls," said Sherry Rehman. Thank you President @AAliZardari for signing into law the #ChildMarriageRestraint bill despite all pressure! Proud moment for #Pakistan Thank you to all the women and men who made this possible after a long journey of twists and turns. 🙌 — SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) May 30, 2025 She further acknowledged the role played by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, party leaders, other political representatives, and public support in securing the bill's passage. In addition, Malaika Reza, General Secretary of the PPP Human Rights Cell, expressed her appreciation for the leadership shown by President Zardari. READ MORE: CII takes exception to child marriage bill She referred to the bill as a "significant victory" in the fight to safeguard women's and children's rights. The bill was initially introduced in the National Assembly by PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui and later presented in the Senate by Senator Rehman. However, the legislation faced opposition from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which declared the bill contrary to Islamic principles.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Clerics in Pakistan urge President to reject bill against child marriage
Several clerics in Pakistan have appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari not to sign a contentious bill banning child marriage into law, according to a report by Dawn. The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 - aimed at banning marriage under the age of 18 - was sent to the presidency on 27 May after being passed by both houses of the Parliament. However, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) argued that declaring marriage under the age of 18 as rape contradicts Islamic law. CII is a constitutional body in Pakistan that provides legal guidance on Islamic matters to the government and Parliament. It was established in 1962 during Ayub Khan's administration. Clerics against legislation Denouncing the legislation, Maulana Jalaluddin, a CII member and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) representative, argued that the Bill is contrary to the values of our society and our traditions. JUI (F) is an Islamic fundamentalist party which is active in Pakistani politics. He said the Bill was a 'western conspiracy' to damage the family system and claimed it was passed in secrecy without being reviewed by the CII. Maulana Jalaluddin insisted that no legislative body could override the Quran and Sunnah. He warned President Zardari that signing the Bill could cause societal unrest and urged him to stop it from becoming law. Pakistani legislators back anti-child marriage law The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) lawmaker Sharmila Faruqi, who introduced the Bill in the National Assembly, rejected the religious objections. She said the issue should be addressed from a human rights viewpoint. Referring to a 2022 ruling by the Federal Shariat Court, she noted that the state has the authority to set a minimum age for marriage. Senator Sherry Rehman asked the CII to review its position in light of practices in other Muslim countries, many of which recognise 18 as the age of maturity. Bone of contention The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 has triggered a major controversy in Pakistan with religious fundamentalists demanding that it be halted, warning that bypassing the CII could harm the social fabric. However, a majority of senators, including those from PTI, voted in favour of Senator Sherry Rehman's motion to move the bill forward in the Upper House, rejecting the proposal to consult the CII.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Pakistan outlaws child marriage in capital, allowed elsewhere; 'un-Islamic' decision, say clerics
Both houses of the assembly passed the bill unanimously last week and will be sent to the president in the coming days. Activists hope that the passing of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 will motivate other regions of Pakistan to follow suit read more The Pakistani National Assembly has passed a landmark bill banning child marriages, but the provisions only apply to residents of the capital city of Islamabad, with observers within the country calling it an 'important step forward' as the practice continues elsewhere in Pakistan. Both houses of the assembly passed the bill unanimously last week and will be sent to the president in the coming days. Activists hope that the passing of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 will motivate other regions of Pakistan to follow suit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sherry Rehman, the former Minister of Climate Change, said, 'This bill sends a powerful message. It's a very important signal to the country, to our development partners, and to women that their rights are protected at the top.' According to a report by Dawn, the bill said, 'In this modern day and age, we have the resources and the research which invariably proves that child marriage is harmful to both genders and especially girls who have hit puberty and are able to bear children. Furthermore, child marriages are in complete violation of the rights of children and international obligations and goal 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals focuses on gender equality and includes a target to end child marriage by 2030.' How does the bill outlaw child marriages? The new legislation sets the minimum marriage age at 18 for both males and females in the capital, making underage marriage a criminal offence. Earlier, the legal age was 16 for girls and 18 for boys. Non-compliant may face strict punishments, including a jail term and hefty fines up to Rs100,000, unless the party can prove that the union is not a child marriage. 'Whoever, being a male above eighteen years of age, contracts a child marriage shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to three years but shall not be less than two years and shall be liable to fine,' the bill added. Meanwhile, any sexual act involving a minor within a marriage will be considered statutory rape as per the new legislation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Landmark advancement in safeguarding children's rights' The United Nations has commended the passage of the bill, saying, 'This significant legislation, tabled in the National Assembly by MNA Dr. Sharmila Faruqui establishes 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage for girls. It marks a landmark advancement in safeguarding children's rights and promoting gender equality in Pakistan.' It added, 'The bill's passage shows Pakistan's dedication to ending child marriage and protecting girls' health, education, and future. We commend Dr. Sharmila Faruqui, Senator Sherry Rehman, and all supportive lawmakers for ensuring a safer, just future for the country's children.' On the other hand, religious and political leaders have threatened to protest against the bill, claiming it is 'unIslamic,' asserting that marriage should be a family decision and that a girl's age for marriage should be marked by puberty.
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Gaza crowds storm food distribution centers; Liverpool celebration turns to chaos
In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we bring you the latest from Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians stormed aid distribution sites run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Desperation for food appears to have outweighed concerns over biometric and other checks planned by Israel. We also report on a car that rammed into a crowd celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title win. Of the 65 people injured in the incident, 11 remain in hospital in stable condition. Jamal Nazzal – Fatah spokesperson Sherry Rehman – Former Pakistani foreign minister Nick Ellerby – Correspondent
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Pakistan sends ‘important signal' of hope in a gloomy world of pushbacks on women's rights
During last week's tense debate over whether the Pakistan senate should pass a bill banning child marriage, Naseema Ehsan stood up to speak. 'I got married at 13 years old and I want child marriage to be banned,' said the 50-year-old senator. 'I was lucky to have good and affluent in-laws but most Pakistani women are not so lucky. Not every child has a supportive husband like me.' When she finished talking, there was applause in the chamber. Despite fierce opposition, later that day the bill banning child marriage in Pakistan's capital city, Islamabad, was passed. It will be signed into law by the president in the coming days and replace legislation introduced under British colonial rule. The landmark parliamentary vote comes more than a decade after a similar bill was passed in Sindh province. Senators, civil society organisations and activists hope that because this latest bill was passed by both houses of Pakistan's legislature, other regions will follow suit, eventually outlawing child marriage throughout the country. 'This bill sends a powerful message,' says Sherry Rehman, the politician who tabled the bill in the senate after Sharmila Farooqi introduced it in Pakistan's lower house, the national assembly. 'It's a very important signal to the country, to our development partners, and to women that their rights are protected at the top.' Under the new legislation, the minimum age for marriage is 18 for both males and females in the capital, with underage marriage now a criminal offence. Previously, it was 16 for girls but 18 for boys. Strict punishments, including up to seven years in prison, have been introduced for people – including family members, clerics and registrars – who facilitate or coerce children into early marriage. Any sexual relations within a marriage involving a minor – with or without consent – will be deemed statutory rape, while an adult man found to have married a girl could face up to three years in prison. It is a moment of hope in an increasingly gloomy landscape for women's rights globally, according to Jamshed Kazi, Pakistan's representative for UN Women. 'This particular passage [of the bill] is even more significant because it's happening in the wake of counter-currents,' he says. 'We are seeing a global pushback on women's rights and even a renegotiation of issues that were settled maybe 30 years ago. Countries are challenging the use of gender-responsive language, and even sexual and reproductive health and rights.' In Pakistan, 29% of girls are married by 18 , according to a 2018 demographic survey, and that 4% marry before the age of 15 compared with 5% for boys, according to Girls Not Brides, a global coalition aiming to end child marriage. The country is among the top 10 worldwide with the highest absolute number of women who were married or in a union before the age of 18. Girls who marry are less likely to finish school and are more likely to face domestic violence, abuse and health problems. Pregnancies become higher risk for child brides, with a greater chance of fistulas, sexually transmitted infections or even death. Teenagers are more likely to die from complications during childbirth than women in their 20s. Ehsan knows only too well the dangers facing girls who are married early. She had her first child at 15. 'I had complications during pregnancy,' she told the Guardian. 'Doctors told me I was weak because I was very young – a child. My health, and my daughter's health, were affected,' she says. Her in-laws could afford medical care and she had three more children in consecutive years. She dropped out of school but her husband allowed her to continue her studies privately. 'At 20, I came to the realisation that I should have finished my studies and waited till 19, at least, to become a mother. I would have been able to take care of my children more,' she says. Since then, she has seen many cases of child brides dying in childbirth in her home province of Balochistan, where girls can get married at 16. A woman dies due to pregnancy complications in Pakistan every 50 minutes. 'I've never been so content to vote for a bill as the child marriage restraint bill,' she adds. 'The world has changed and developed. We have progressed and we must embrace the progress … It was a very much needed bill.' It has been 'a long time coming', according to Kazi, and is the result of more than a decade of advocacy by civil society and rights organisations. Rehman says it follows three attempts over seven years to get a ban passed, with previous bills falling victim to parliamentary inertia as well as religious opposition. 'It has been difficult to go through various stages and jump through hoops, and to keep making amendments,' she adds. 'To see it defeated repeatedly, or not even make the agenda because there was opposition in the National Assembly, has been one of the most difficult parts of this journey.' Some religious and political leaders have threatened to protest against the bill, claiming it is 'unIslamic', that marriage must be a family decision and that puberty should mark the age a girl can be married. 'We should not be forcing the age of child marriage. Parents should decide that and children should consent to it,' says Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, secretary general of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl political party. 'In Britain and western societies, during adulthood they have relations and partners, and they have sex and then do abortion and waste their children. Why don't Pakistani liberals and civil society and even the west see that and introduce laws over there? 'This new law is unacceptable and unbearable,' he says. 'We will decide our course of action.' Nadeem Afzal Chan, information secretary of the Pakistan People's party – which is in power in Sindh and Balochistan provinces – refutes such claims. 'We must celebrate this bill as it protects the rights of children,' he says. 'The Balochistan government soon will enact laws to ban child marriages.'
