Asif Ali Khan
PESHAWAR: A petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court seeking to increase the minimum legal age of marriage for girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 16 to 18 years, bringing the province in line with other parts of Pakistan.
The petition has been filed by Lina Qamar and Maham Nafees through their lawyer Imran Khan, making the federal and provincial governments, the provincial law secretary and other relevant authorities respondents.
The petitioners have challenged the existing legal provision that allows girls to marry at the age of 16 in KP, arguing that the minimum marriage age has been raised to 18 in other parts of the country.
They stated that following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, Islamabad Capital Territory, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan introduced legislative changes to raise the minimum legal age of marriage to 18.
However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to retain the age limit of 16.
The petitioners argued that early marriages contribute to family-related problems and called for legislative reforms to ensure better protection for girls.
They have requested the Peshawar High Court to direct the relevant authorities to amend the existing law and raise the minimum marriage age for girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 16 to 18 years.
If accepted, the proposed change could bring significant changes to the province’s legal framework governing underage marriages.
Related:
JUI lawmaker asked to resign for marrying underage girl
Balochistan Passes Bill to Ban Child Marriages