ISLAMABAD: The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) directed the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to submit draft bills against child marriage.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer, heard the case. The CJ had taken the suo motu on the media reports and the FIR registered by the father of a five-year-old girl in Balochistan.

Muhammad, father of the girl lodged an FIR in Khuzdar police station regarding forced marriage of his five-year-old daughter.

The suo moto notice said that the act of forced marriage is unIslamic and against the 1973 Constitution. The cruel, un-Islamic and heartless ritual is found in many parts of Pakistan where girls, are given in marriage or servitude to an aggrieved family as compensation to end disputes, often murder.

“Under this custom the personal liberty of a woman is restricted for the rest of her life against all norms of justice therefore contravening to the Islamic Injunctions and also to Article 9 of the Constitution,” it further said.

During the proceeding, the law officers of all the provinces were present in the court. The law officer representing the Balochistan province submitted a report that they have drafted a bill titled, “The Balochistan Child Marriages Prohibition Act, 2021”, which will be presented to the cabinet as early as possible. The Court directed the provincial government to submit the draft of proposed bill to the cabinet within 20 days.

The law officer representing KP province sought time to submit a report on the subject matter. The court at the request of the law officers, adjourned the case to date in office.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022