Pakistan’s Punjab Bans Child Marriage Under 18 As Killing Of Christian Shopkeeper Raises Concerns

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – Christian rights campaigners have welcomed Friday’s landmark decision by Pakistan’s Punjab province to criminalize child marriage by setting 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage. However, the killing of a Pakistani Christian shopkeeper in the same province cast a shadow over the celebrations.

LEAD Ministries, a Pakistan-based Christian advocacy group, told Worthy News that the new law followed numerous cases in which minors — many of them Christians — were forced into marriage, underscoring what it described as ongoing challenges facing the country’s Christian minority.

The reform was enacted in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, in the east of the country, bordering India. Lahore serves as the provincial capital, while many Christian communities live in districts such as Kasur, where the fatal attack occurred.

The Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026 was signed into law Friday by Governor Saleem Haider Khan under Article 128(1) of Pakistan’s Constitution, replacing legislation dating back to 1929.

Under the new ordinance, anyone who arranges, facilitates, or promotes the marriage of a person under 18 faces up to seven years in prison and fines of up to 1 million Pakistani rupees (about $3,500). Authorities said offenses are cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, signaling a tougher stance against early and forced marriages.

CHILD MARRIAGE REMAINS WIDESPREAD

Child marriage remains a significant issue in Pakistan, a country of more than 240 million people.

The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF estimates that Pakistan has the sixth-highest number of women married before the age of 18 in the world.

According to UNICEF, Pakistan is home to nearly 19 million child brides, and about 1 in 6 young women were married in childhood.

Surveys show the practice is more common in rural areas than in urban centers.

Rights advocates say Christian girls are particularly vulnerable to early and forced marriages, sometimes linked to allegations of forced conversions.

CHRISTIAN LEADERS PRAISE REFORM

Pastor Imran Amanat called the Punjab legislation a “historic victory for children, especially girls, across the province.”

Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries, said the law now “unequivocally sets the legal age for girls at 18” and urged strict enforcement to ensure meaningful protection.

Yet celebrations were clouded by deadly violence in Kasur district, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) south of Lahore near the Indian border.

Haroon Masih, a Christian shopkeeper in the town of Raja Jang, was reportedly killed after asking customers to repay goods taken on credit. His brother, Sohail Masih, was injured in the attack, well-informed Christians told Worthy News on Sunday.

Masih was rushed to a hospital but did not survive, leaving behind his widow — whom he had married only 10 months earlier — and other family members, LEAD Ministries said. Christian leaders condemned the killing and called on authorities to ensure justice and better protection for religious minorities.

PERSECUTION CONTEXT

Authorities did not immediately issue a detailed statement about the reported attack, but Christian sources said the two suspected Muslim attackers were named as Muhammad Nauman and Muhammad Luqman.

Pakistan ranks among countries where Christians face high levels of persecution. According to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, Pakistan remains among the nations where Christians experience violence, discrimination, and social pressure because of their faith.

Christians comprise roughly 1.5 to 2 percent of Pakistan’s population, according to Christian researchers.

While the constitution guarantees religious freedom, minority rights advocates say enforcement of protections remains inconsistent, particularly in rural areas of Punjab and Sindh provinces.

Christians and other religious minorities have long called for stronger safeguards, equal rights, and effective enforcement of laws meant to protect vulnerable communities.

Latest Worthy News