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Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) President Naveed Walter raised concerns over child and forced marriages in Pakistan during the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and called for stronger implementation and enforcement of child-marriage laws, according to an HRFP press release issued on Monday.
In his address, Walter highlighted recent legislative proceedings establishing 18 as the minimum marriage age for both girls and boys, as well as the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2026, the press release said. Pakistan has made important changes in legislation, Walter said. But these laws are now being tested, as religious parties have challenged them on the grounds that they are contrary to the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The real test will be whether these laws are enforced consistently and whether the courts and public institutions protect every child. Walter expressed concern over continuing legal uncertainty surrounding marriages involving girls under 18, including cases where statutory child-marriage protections come into tension with interpretations of personal or religious law, according to the release. He highlighted recent judicial developments in which courts have adopted divergent approaches, particularly in cases involving the determination of a girls age, where official age documentation and NADRA records have played a significant role. He also discussed instances in which judges have defined puberty with reference to Sharia principles and classical Islamic legal thought. What is not documented cannot be prosecuted Walter also raised concerns about cases involving girls from religious-minority communities, including allegations of abduction, forced conversion and child marriage. He stressed that every allegation must be investigated through due process and that the best interests, safety and fundamental rights of the child must remain paramount. According to the HRFP press release, UNICEF says Pakistan has one of the world's largest populations of child brides, with millions of women having been married before reaching the age of 18. Walter argued that the number of cases appearing in the media or reaching courts should not be mistaken for the actual scale of the problem. The laws existed; they were simply ignored. The challenge now is enforcement. Walter called for stronger implementation and enforcement of Pakistans child-marriage laws in relevant judicial proceedings. He urged authorities to introduce mandatory age verification through CNIC, B-Form and NADRA records before marriage registration; publish nationwide enforcement data annually, including complaints, FIRs, prosecutions, and convictions; and harmonise relevant personal and family laws to ensure that children subjected to coerced marriages have access to effective legal remedies and protection. He also urged the UN Human Rights Council and its Member States to raise the issues during Pakistans human-rights review processes. He called on the international community to put one specific question to Pakistan: How will you resolve the conflict between puberty and eighteen in your courts? HRFP further advocated stronger monitoring of child-marriage enforcement through international human-rights and trade-related review mechanisms, including GSP+, with measurable indicators such as marriages prevented from registration, prosecutions initiated, and secured convictions. Concluding his statement, Walter said, Pakistan's written laws now need defenders in the courts, in the concerned departments, and in forums like this one. He reaffirmed HRFPs commitment to documenting violations and advocating for the effective protection of children and vulnerable communities, adding, Human Rights Focus Pakistan will keep documenting. We ask you to keep asking. During a side event by Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD), Special Rapporteur Ai Kihara-Hunt, Working Group member Haina Lu, UN Team Coordinator Alejandra Martinez and others also spoke, the HRFP press release said. (ANI)
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