Bishops in Pakistan hail approval of revised Marriage Act

By Lisa Zengarini

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

The new legislation, amending the Christian Marriage Act 1872, was approved unanimously by the National Assembly this week after passing at the Senate a few months ago.

Under the previous law, dating back to the British rule in India, girls could get married as early as 13 while boys could marry at 16.

Protecting Christan girls from forced marriages

Christians in Pakistan have long been advocating for this change to protect particularly girls from sexual abuse and forced child marriage often linked to abductions for the purpose of forced conversions.

The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan (CBCP), Bishop Samson Shukardin, together with the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), joined other Christians in expressing expressed satisfaction at the final approval of the legislation.

"We extend our sincere appreciation to the entire Parliament for passing this bill unanimously,” they said in a statement.  “This legislation will play a crucial role in protecting our young and minor girls from forced conversions and child marriages. We hope the Government will take further steps to criminalise forced religious conversions," it goes on to say.

The new Christian Marriage Act 

The new Christian Marriage Act demands that marriage “be solemnised and registered only when the age of both contracting parties are 18-year-old.”

It further states that in case of a dispute regarding the age of any contracting party, the court will determine the age based on a Computerised National Identity Card, birth certificate, educational certificates, or any other pertinent documents. Lacking these documents, the age may be determined based on a medical examination report.