Islamabad (HRNW)- The Federal Shariat Court has removed objections to a petition challenging the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026, paving the way for the case to be scheduled for hearing.
The Registrar of the Federal Shariat Court directed that the petition be fixed for hearing after removing the objections. The petition was filed by Mufti Muhammad Aslam through his counsel Mudassar Chaudhry Advocate, with the Governor of Punjab through the Secretary and others named as respondents.
The petition argues that Sections 2D and 3 of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026 are inconsistent with the Constitution and Islamic law. It contends that declaring marriage under the age of 18 a criminal offense is against Sharia, and that the state is not permitted to interfere in matters governed by Islamic law.
The petitioner has requested the court to declare the provisions criminalizing marriages involving individuals under the age of 18 as unlawful and to strike down Section 2C and other relevant provisions of the Act. The petition also seeks a stay order suspending implementation of the law until the court reaches a final decision.
Earlier, objections were raised because the original petition challenged an ordinance, which has since been approved by the Punjab Assembly and enacted as law. The petitioner subsequently amended the petition to challenge the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026 and resubmitted it, after which the objections were removed.
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