Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan has asked the Punjab government to frame and notify rules under the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026 without further delay. The group says the law, enacted in April 2026, sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls, but its enforcement depends on rules that have not yet been framed.
The appeal was made in an open letter signed by the group's chairman, Samson Salamat, and addressed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The letter welcomed the legislation as historic. It also pointed to a position paper the group issued on May 11, 2026, which called for rules that clearly prohibit marriage under 18 with no exceptions.
Why the group says rules are urgent
According to the letter, forced and underage marriages and forced conversions will continue until the law is fully put into practice, and the heaviest cost will fall on girls from marginalised communities, including minority girls. The group argued that without rules, a Nikah registrar has no clear duty to verify age, police have no standard operating procedure (SOP) to follow, and courts have no protocol to decide cases within the time the law allows.
To illustrate the gap, the group cited a case in Lahore involving Maria Shahbaz. According to a review petition in that case, her NADRA record gives her date of birth as October 7, 2012. The group said the case shows what happens when a child's protection depends on discretion rather than clear procedure.
Rules the group wants framed
The letter lists specific measures it wants written into the rules under the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026. These include barring any marriage without verified national identity cards (CNICs) or NADRA Form-B, a birth registration document for children, and linking the Nikah registration system to NADRA so that entries where either party is under 18 are blocked. It also seeks cancellation of licences and penalties for Nikah registrars, parents, guardians and facilitators who break the age limit.
The group wants child marriage treated as a cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence. In plain terms, police could act without a warrant, bail would not be automatic, and the case could not be settled out of court. Other proposals include a trial within the 90 days the law mandates, age to be decided by verified documents rather than physical appearance, and a child marriage, once proved, to be declared null and void, including where it follows the conversion of a person under 18.
The letter also asks for accountability for judges who validate child marriages, task forces of the Punjab Police and the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau to stop children being transported for marriage, and complaint cells, helplines and community monitoring through district administrations. The group said that every day without rules leaves children exposed to a practice the law prohibits. Its chairman expressed confidence that Punjab could set a strong precedent through decisive implementation.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- April 2026: The Punjab government enacts the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026, setting 18 as the minimum marriage age.
- May 11, 2026: Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan issues a position paper calling for comprehensive rules with no exceptions.
- October 7, 2012: This is the date of birth shown on Maria Shahbaz's NADRA record, according to a review petition the group cited.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Is qanoon ke tehat shadi ki kam se kam umar 18 saal hai, ladkon aur ladkiyon dono ke liye. Lekin Rwadari Tehreek Pakistan ka kehna hai ke is qanoon ke rules abhi nahi bane, is liye nikah registrar, police aur courts ke liye kaam ka saaf tareeqa nahi hai. Group ne Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif se rules jald jaari karne ki darkhwast ki hai. Aam logon ke liye matlab yeh hai ke shadi se pehle umar aur CNIC ki tasdeeq ka mamla ahem hai, aur rules bane ke baad is par amal zyada wazeh hoga.
