Lahore (GNP) : A delegation of prominent women leaders representing various districts of Punjab, along with the Executive Director of PODA-Pakistan, attended a session of the Punjab Assembly held in the Assembly Hall, during which the historic Child Marriage Restraint Act, Punjab 2026 was passed under the speakership of Malik Ahmad Khan.
Sameena Nazir appreciated the efforts of the Punjab Assembly and its women MPAs, who, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, made significant strides to protect the rights of the girl child in the province. She noted that this landmark legislation would enable millions of girls to pursue education, develop skills, and build stronger, more secure foundations for their future families.
The delegation included Bismillah Iram, Head of Roshan Rahien (Khanewal); Irshad Safdar of Ittehad Foundation (Kasur); Mehwish Majeed (Layyah); Nasreen Anwar (Bahawalpur); Shamim Akhtar (Lahore); and Nabeela Aslam, who led the three-year project titled “Reduce Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality.” Supported by the Norwegian Embassy, Islamabad, the project was implemented across 41 districts of Punjab and reached over 45,000 stakeholders. It played a vital role in creating an enabling environment for the amendment to set 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for girls, aligning it with the existing legal age for boys.
Among the notable Women Members of the Provincial Assembly who actively participated in the proceedings were Azma Bukhari, Provincial Information Minister, Uzma Kardar, Sarah Ahmad, and others.
They contributed meaningfully to the debate on various provisions of the Act. In a conciliatory and balanced manner, Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan steered the legislative process and successfully secured the passage of the Act, despite visible opposition from some benches.
Male Members of the Provincial Assembly also stood in solidarity with their women counterparts and strongly supported the demand to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls from 16 to 18 years. The majority of the House endorsed the Child Marriage Restraint Act, Punjab 2026, marking a significant step toward gender equality and the protection of children’s rights.
This legislative milestone is also in line with Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender and guarantees equality of all citizens before the law.
