But will it stand up to a challenge in Sharia-friendly Pakistan?
A major court ruling in Pakistan could have significant implications for protecting children, including girls from Christian and other religious minority communities.
In an August 31 ruling, the Lahore High Court held that under Punjab’s new child-marriage law, anyone under 18 is considered a child and cannot legally consent to marriage. The court said a minor’s claimed consent does not give an adult the legal right to live with her.
The case involved Hina Aslam, whose government registration records reportedly showed she was about 15 years old at the time of the alleged marriage. The court placed her in protective custody, restricted contact to supervised visits, and directed police to investigate allegations that the marriage certificate had been falsified.
The ruling could also affect other disputed child-marriage cases. Attorney Saqib Jillani, who represents the family of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz, argues that the new law changes the legal landscape following an earlier ruling that had upheld her reported marriage to a 30-year-old man.
The issue has drawn particular concern from advocates for Pakistan’s religious minorities. A Jubilee Campaign report presented to the European Parliament documented 210 reported cases between 2019 and 2025 involving allegations of abduction, forced conversion, child marriage, or sexual violence against minority girls. The report put the victims’ average age at 12.8 and the accused individuals’ average age at 35.8.
For Christian families and other minorities who have raised concerns about forced conversion and child marriage, advocates are describing the ruling as an important development.
The message from the court is significant: a child’s claimed consent does not erase the protections the law gives to a child.
In an August 31 ruling, the Lahore High Court held that under Punjab’s new child-marriage law, anyone under 18 is considered a child and cannot legally consent to marriage. The court said a minor’s claimed consent does not give an adult the legal right to live with her.
The case involved Hina Aslam, whose government registration records reportedly showed she was about 15 years old at the time of the alleged marriage. The court placed her in protective custody, restricted contact to supervised visits, and directed police to investigate allegations that the marriage certificate had been falsified.
The ruling could also affect other disputed child-marriage cases. Attorney Saqib Jillani, who represents the family of 13-year-old Maria Shahbaz, argues that the new law changes the legal landscape following an earlier ruling that had upheld her reported marriage to a 30-year-old man.
The issue has drawn particular concern from advocates for Pakistan’s religious minorities. A Jubilee Campaign report presented to the European Parliament documented 210 reported cases between 2019 and 2025 involving allegations of abduction, forced conversion, child marriage, or sexual violence against minority girls. The report put the victims’ average age at 12.8 and the accused individuals’ average age at 35.8.
For Christian families and other minorities who have raised concerns about forced conversion and child marriage, advocates are describing the ruling as an important development.
The message from the court is significant: a child’s claimed consent does not erase the protections the law gives to a child.
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