On November 14, 2025, Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan, raised the minimum legal age of marriage to 18 for both sexes, which was previously 16 for females and 18 for males. With this update, Balochistan’s minimum age for marriage policy now matches those of Pakistan’s provinces of Sindh and Punjab. This step strengthens legal protection for children, but the true question is: does changing the law also change what happens in practice?
Since Sindh province raised the minimum legal age of marriage to 18 for both males and females in 2013, this can help us understand what to expect from the new law in Balochistan. According to data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Surveys, the percentage of young women aged 15–19 in Sindh who were married rose slightly from 12.7% in 2012–2013 to 13.5% in 2017–2018. This raises questions about whether changing the legal minimum age for marriage is enough if implementation is absent.
A survey in Balochistan by Save the Children found, through a sample of respondents, that nearly 2/3 of marriages took place before the age of 18, while 40% of marriages took place before the age of 16. Moreover, 1 in 4 girls had their first child before 16, and 60% of girls had given birth before turning 18. This data is not representative of the entire province as it is based on local targeted samples. Still, this data suggests a close connection between early marriage and early pregnancy.
The health consequences of early pregnancy further lay the ground for the need for legislation. Early marriage increases the likelihood of early pregnancy, carrying greater health risks for young mothers. According to UNFPA, girls aged 15–19 are twice as likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth as women in their 20s. Furthermore, in 2018, UNFPA reported that 3,000 women died annually from pregnancy complications in Balochistan.
The consequences are not limited to health. Early marriage can interrupt a girl’s education, limiting her professional life and increasing economic dependence. In a province where female participation in the job market remains low, keeping girls in education and delaying marriage can have consequences that extend beyond individual households to the wider economy.
Moreover, the new law recognises anyone below the age of 18 as a child. It considers child marriage a cognizable and non-bailable offence, permitting the police to arrest without warrant. Furthermore, an adult male marrying a minor can face 2-3 years of imprisonment. The punishment also extends to the facilitators of the marriage, which may include parents, guardians, nikah registrar, and other adults. The fine for such a violation will be between 100,000 and 200,000. The legislation further prohibits informal settlements through traditional community councils such as jirgas, removing the possibility of resolving child marriage cases outside the formal legal system.
The new law has faced opposition from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), as they believe it contradicts Islamic principles about puberty and marriage. They argue that there shouldn’t be a fixed age for marriage; instead, puberty should determine when a girl can get married. The CII plays an advisory role to the Parliament and provincial assemblies, but it does not hold the power to veto legislation passed by the elected assembly.
Balochistan’s new legislation marks a turning point in the government’s fight against child marriage, but changing the law is just the beginning. The legal age limits the practice on paper, but actual enforcement depends on addressing the root causes of child marriage, such as community education, economic support for families, and the ability of local institutions to enforce the law. A legal number is not sufficient on its own if the social practices aren’t changed and violators aren’t held accountable.