LAHORE: Muslim scholars and researchers from six countries call for setting 18 years as the minimum age for marriage of girls for what they say building a strong Ummah.

The scholars from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, and Yemen were brought together at a consultation on ‘Marriage age legislations and Muslim family laws’ jointly organised by the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), the Women Development Department (WDD), Punjab government and Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA).

The panelists shared effective practices from Muslim countries that have set 18 years and above as the minimum legal age of marriage for both girls and boys. They emphasised that emotional and physical maturity are equally essential for building a strong and healthy Ummah.

Amal Basha from Yemen, Andi Nur Faizah from Indonesia, Prof. Aziz Mechout from Morocco, Badar bin Salim bin Hamadan from Oman, Balarabe A. Haruna from Nigeria, and Saimum Reza Talukder from Bangladesh participated.

Eight members of the Punjab Assembly — Uzma Kardar, Rushda Lodhi, Safia Saeed, Ms Fatima, Ms Nasreen, Ms Mumtaz Sumbal Maalik Hussain, and former MPA Shameela Aslam — joined voices in advocating to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years across Pakistan. They stressed that protecting vulnerable girls from early marriages is in line with Islamic principles of justice, gender equality and well-being.

Imam of Badshahi Mosque, Qari Muhammad Anis, also attended the consultation and extended his support to the cause, reaffirming that safeguarding girls’ rights is a moral and religious responsibility.

The participants further encouraged governments and religious authorities in Muslim countries to work collaboratively to harmonise laws that reflect both Islamic jurisprudence and contemporary social realities.

The session concluded with a joint commitment to continue dialogue, conduct comparative legal research and pursue coordinated policy actions among Muslim countries.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2025