A legislative effort to outlaw dowry in Pakistan has been stalled. The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior unanimously rejected a bill on Tuesday that sought to criminalise the practice, labelling the proposal “impractical.”
The bill was moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Sharmila Faruqui. It proposed criminalising dowry practices and outlining penalties for violations.
However, the bill included a clause permitting parents to give voluntary gifts to their daughters. Despite this provision, committee members rejected it during a meeting chaired by MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz.
Following the rejection, Faruqui confirmed the outcome on the social media platform X. She stated the committee’s discussion “reflected encouragement rather than restraint of dowry.”
Today, the Standing Committee on Interior rejected my Dowry Restraint Bill.
Disturbingly, the discussion reflected encouragement rather than restraint of dowry.
Dowry is not culture. It is coercion.
The state must stand with women, not normalize a practice that commodifies them.…
— Dr. Sharmila Sahibah Faruqui (Phd) s.i (@sharmilafaruqi) December 23, 2025In her post, she argued, “Dowry is not a culture. It is coercion. The state must stand with women, not normalise a practice that commodifies them.” She vowed to continue her efforts, stating her fight was “far from over.”
The rejection occurs within a broader legal context. In July 2025, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a historic ruling. It declared the denial of dowry or maintenance to a woman on the grounds of infertility illegal.
Furthermore, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) proposed amendments to the existing Dowry and Bridal Gift Act last year. Their recommendations included increasing penalties from six months to up to one year in prison for violators.
