The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has rejected a bill passed by the National Assembly and Senate seeking to prohibit marriage under the age of 18, stating that it is not satisfied with the fixed age limit.

A meeting of the Islamic Ideology Council was held under the chairmanship of Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi on Tuesday, during which the members thoroughly deliberated over the issue of the age of puberty and the 18-year benchmark. The Council remained unconvinced about setting 18 as a fixed age for marriage.

Sources said the Council agreed on the need to address social and moral issues in society but stressed that the subject of marriage should be evaluated from social, cultural, and religious perspectives. The participants emphasised the importance of reviewing marriage-related matters through a comprehensive lens that includes Islamic principles and societal norms.

Council concluded that setting a legal minimum age for marriage and treating underage marriage as a form of abuse with legal punishments is inconsistent with Islamic teachings. However, the Council did support discouraging child marriages through awareness and education, rather than criminalisation.

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The meeting included a detailed discussion on a five-point agenda, after which recommendations were finalised. The Council is expected to issue its formal decisions and recommendations once internal consensus is achieved.

Sources further stated that the Council had serious objections to the draft legislation approved by both houses of Parliament and outright rejected the bill.

It is worth mentioning that the Islamic Ideology Council had convened today’s meeting to deliberate on several key national issues, including the minimum age of marriage.