The Pakistan marriage age law was welcomed by a United Nations rights panel on Wednesday as it concluded its review of the country’s progress on economic, social and cultural rights. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights finished its examination of Pakistan’s second periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, while also raising questions about bonded labour, displacement and the pace of flood reconstruction.
Committee Praises the 2025 Amendment on Child Marriage
Committee expert Michael Windfuhr, a member of the task force for Pakistan, welcomed the 2025 amendment to the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929, which raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 for both males and females. He noted, however, that the committee remained concerned about the high number of child brides in the country and asked what impact the measures taken to prevent child marriage had produced.
Responding for the government, Barrister Aqeel Malik, the Minister of State for Law and Justice and head of the delegation, said child marriage restraint laws had set the minimum age of marriage at 18 for both boys and girls in Islamabad, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh. He added that the laws also criminalised child, early and forced marriages. In his opening remarks, Mr Malik said Pakistan had taken a range of legislative, policy and institutional measures since 2017 for the progressive realisation of covenant rights.
Questions Over Bonded Labour in Agriculture and Brick Kilns
Committee expert Lazhari Bouzid said bonded labour remained prevalent in agriculture and was also found in the informal sector, particularly in brick making. He noted reports that construction companies and government agencies were complicit in the practice by purchasing bricks produced through debt bondage, and he asked how Pakistan had responded to these reports.
The delegation replied that the Constitution prohibits slavery and all forms of forced labour, and that the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 had formally abolished the practice. It said Punjab had documented more than 210,000 kiln workers and that district vigilance committees had been established in many districts. Labour inspectors, the delegation added, had identified more than 2,900 victims of forced labour last year.
Flood Reconstruction and the Question of Displacement
The committee also devoted considerable attention to the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2022 and 2025. Mr Windfuhr asked how the country had coped with their impact, whether Pakistan could rebuild housing for affected people and restore their access to land and other resources, and how many people remained displaced.
On flood reconstruction, the delegation said the government had established a national emergency operations centre focusing on high-risk areas and had launched a national flood protection programme. The programme aims to protect at-risk people, eight million acres of agricultural land and 2.2 million housing units, and each province is also implementing its own protective measures. The delegation reported that of the 2.1 million homes destroyed in the 2022 floods, 600,000 had been rebuilt, with work on the remaining houses under way.
Gaps Between Legislation and Implementation
In her concluding remarks, Julieta Rossi, who leads the committee’s task force for Pakistan, said the delegation had outlined the processes for implementing economic, social and cultural rights as well as the significant challenges facing the country. She also acknowledged what she described as gaps between legislative progress and implementation. According to Ms Rossi, this information would be reflected in the committee’s concluding observations, which the panel hoped Pakistan would implement in good faith.
Mr Malik, for his part, told the committee that the delegation had set out its efforts to bridge the distance between constitutional guarantees and their realisation. He said the country’s trajectory was toward the progressive realisation of covenant rights and that, despite constraints and challenges, Pakistan had made considerable progress since its first review. He expressed the hope that the committee’s candour and rigour would help pave the way for the full realisation of these rights for all.
Committee vice chair Asraf Ally Caunhye, who acted as chair of the dialogue, thanked the delegation for its participation in what he called a constructive exchange and for its stated commitment to protecting the rights enshrined in the covenant. The Pakistani delegation comprised representatives of the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Human Rights and the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Pakistan Marriage Age Law: What Comes Next
The committee’s concluding observations are expected to set out its recommendations to Islamabad. While the Pakistan marriage age law drew praise as a significant legal step, the questions raised on bonded labour, child brides and flood recovery indicate that the panel will be looking for evidence of enforcement rather than legislation alone.
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