LAHORE: A new ordinance promulgated by Punjab Governor Saleem Haider Khan on Wednesday declared child marriage a non-bailable offence and set 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both males and females, eliminating the previous gender-based distinctions.

Up until now, the minimum legal age for marriage in Punjab was 18 years for men and 16 years for women under the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929.

This has changed with the promulgation of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, under which offenders could face up to seven years in prison and fines of up to Rs1 million.

The law comes into effect immediately across the province and was promulgated under Article 128(1) of the Constitution as the Punjab Assembly is not in session.

Under the new legal framework, nikah khawans (marriage registrars) have been barred from registering child marriages and could face imprisonment of up to one year and fine of Rs100,000 in case of violations.

Similarly, adults contracting marriage with a child will face rigorous imprisonment of up to three years but not less than two years, as well as a fine of up to Rs500,000.

The ordinance also criminalises cohabitation resulting from a child marriage as “child abuse”, carrying penalties of five to seven years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs1 million.

It also introduces strict punishments for child trafficking linked to marriage and holds guardians accountable for promoting or failing to prevent underage marriages.

It further stated that if a guardian or any other person in any capacity, lawful or unlawful, committed any act to promote child marriage, child abuse or permitted child marriage to be solemnised, or intentionally or negligently failed to prevent it from being solemnised, they will be punished with rigorous imprisonment between two to three years and will also be liable to a fine of up to Rs500,000.

All offences under the ordinance have been declared cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, and will be tried exclusively by Courts of Session, with cases to be concluded within 90 days.

According to the statement of objects and reasons, the ordinance is aimed at modernising child protection laws in Punjab, removing gender discrimination in minimum marriage age, and strengthening legal safeguards against exploitation and abuse.