Marriage age restrictions are un-Islamic: Council of Islamic Ideology

ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Tuesday declared that any age-related restrictions on marriage and any suggestions to penalise the people on the issue were un-Islamic.

A declaration issued after a CII meeting chaired by Allama Raghib Naeemi also said declaring a marriage involving an individual of less than 18 years of age as child abuse was un-Islamic.

In this connection, the CII rejected a bill [[lslamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2024] moved by Sharmila Faruqui, which sailed through the National Assembly earlier this month.

Read more: NA passes bill criminalising child marriage under 18

After the legislation was passed, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had asked the government to suspend the legislation, threatening to launch a protest.

“Do not compel us to take to the streets in protest. Stop this legislation and refer it to the Council of Islamic Ideology. We cannot allow the current situation to be exploited in this way. Solidarity demands that such actions not be taken.”

And on Tuesday, the CII said that neither the National Assembly nor the Senate had sent the bill to the advisory body for a review.

THALASSEMIA TEST REJECTED

The meeting also rejected the recommendation of declaring thalassemia test mandatory before marriage, saying it only needs create awareness among the people.

CHILD MARRIAGE

Underage marriage is a serious issue in Pakistan where cultural practices justify this practice, resulting in serious physical and psychological problems for the victims.

It means the girls are deprived of their right to access education and pursue a career according to their will, in a society where an overwhelming majority of women do not have right to inheritance.

At the same time, it also leads to high birth rate in country, where population bomb is already consuming scarce resources.