PODA Congratulates National Assembly on Historic Move to End Child Marriage in ICT

ISLAMABAD; MAY 17 (DNA): PODA (Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy) congratulates the National Assembly of Pakistan for taking a historic step toward eliminating child marriage by passing groundbreaking legislation banning child marriage in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). This legislation marks a significant advancement in protecting children’s rights and aligns with international human rights standards.

Sameena Nazir, Executive Director of PODA, stated that PODA has been consistently advocating for children’s rights across multiple platforms over the past three years, calling for the implementation of a uniform national law to end child marriages in Pakistan. She commended the government for prioritizing children’s rights and taking concrete steps to combat child marriage. She also extended special appreciation to parliamentarian Sharmila Farooqi for her courage and relentless advocacy in bringing this bill to the National Assembly — a space where representatives can respond to the will of the people for the betterment of society.

Under the project “Reduce Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality” — supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad — PODA led extensive advocacy efforts through its annual Rural Women’s Conferences. Over the past three years, these conferences have passed resolutions demanding an end to child marriage under the age of 18. These resolutions garnered the support of more than 2,000 women leaders from all four provinces, as well as the regions of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

In addition to legislative advocacy, PODA mobilized public support by sending hundreds of letters — signed by concerned citizens — to then Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in 2023. The organization also broadcast multiple series of radio programs to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of child marriage, launched multiple effective social media campaigns, and observed series of key international days to amplify the issue. PODA received substantial support from the media, particularly the print press, in building nationwide consensus on the need for a uniform law to end child marriage in Pakistan.

Advocate Khawaja Zahid Nasim, Chairperson of the Naheeda Mehboob Elahi Foundation — an organization providing free legal aid to vulnerable segments of society, especially women — also welcomed the passage of the ICT Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2024. He called it a landmark victory for child rights in Pakistan. “The bill criminalizes marriage under the age of 18 and makes CNIC verification mandatory prior to marriage registration. While this is a milestone achievement for ICT, it is imperative that similar legislation be adopted across all provinces to truly eradicate child marriage across Pakistan,” he said.

Child marriage remains a serious challenge in Pakistan, where nearly 19 million women were married as children and 18% of girls are still married before the age of 18. Beyond its human rights implications, the economic cost is also substantial.