LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) annulled the provision of the difference in the marriage age of a girl and a boy and ordered an amendment of the 95-year-old law of making marriage at the age of 18.
After hearing the case regarding the determination of marriage age, Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC issued a five-page written decision.
Justice Shahid Karim while giving remarks said that there is a need for effective measures against child marriage on social and physical factors, the purpose of marriage law should be connected with socio-economic and educational factors.
The court said in the judgment that the potential of half of the population cannot be counted in early marriage and birth of children, under the constitution all citizens are equal in the eyes of the law, and discrimination against any citizen can not be done.
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The court remarked that the age difference between a boy and a girl in the Child Marriage Act of 1929 is discrimination. The court declared the age difference unconstitutional and illegal and directed the government to amend the Child Marriage Act within 15 days. The Punjab government should amend the law and publish it on its website, the court orders.
The petitioner argued that, according to the Act, the age of marriage for a boy is 18 years, and for a girl is 16 years and according to the constitution, women and men have equal rights.
Advocate General Punjab took the position that girls in Pakistan are victims of early marriage relatively, due to early marriage, the death of children at birth is high.