The Punjab Child Marriage Ordinance 2026 has cleared an important stage after the Standing Committee on Local Government of the Punjab Assembly approved the measure, moving it closer to becoming law. The ordinance would ban the marriage of anyone under the age of 18 in Punjab and introduce strict criminal penalties for those involved.
Committee Chairman Pir Ashraf Rasool chaired the meeting, during which officials said that Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider had already approved the ordinance. After the committee’s approval, lawmakers will now present the measure in the House, where it must pass before it formally becomes law.
According to the ordinance text, both the bride and the groom must be at least 18 years old at the time of marriage. The measure imposes a complete ban on child marriage in Punjab and classifies any violation as a punishable offence under criminal law.
The ordinance also sets clear penalties for different roles in an underage marriage. A marriage registrar or officiant who registers such a marriage would face at least one year in prison and a fine of Rs100,000.
Read: KP Introduces Kalash Marriage Bill 2026 in Assembly
The ordinance says anyone who marries a minor boy or girl would face three years in prison and a fine of Rs500,000. It also says authorities would treat marriage involving a person under 18 as rape, punishable by seven years in prison and a fine of Rs1,000,000.
If someone takes a child outside Punjab to another province for marriage, that person would also face seven years in prison and a fine of Rs1,000,000. Guardians or other individuals who help arrange a child marriage would face two years in prison and a fine of Rs500,000. Parents and marriage registrars could also face legal action for negligence or carelessness.
The meeting included Chairperson of the Child Protection Bureau, Sara Ahmed; Chief Whip of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Rana Arshad; Amjad Ali Javaid; Zulfiqar Ali Shah; Ahmed Khan Leghari; Arshad Malik; and other members and officials. Secretary Local Government Shakeel Mian and other officials also attended, while a large number of female assembly members joined as observers.
The ordinance now moves into the next legislative stage, where lawmakers will decide whether Punjab adopts one of its strictest legal measures yet against child marriage.
