Pakistani Cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman Vows to Defy Child Marriage Law

• Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, openly challenged Pakistan's new Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 and Domestic Violence Act 2026.
• He declared these laws unconstitutional and against Islamic principles, refusing to accept changes in family laws.
• Maulana Rehman provocatively stated he would arrange marriages for 10, 12, 15, and 16-year-old girls as a form of protest.
• The Domestic Violence Act 2026 criminalizes physical, mental, and emotional violence within the home, including threatening divorce or second marriage.
• The Child Marriage Restraint Bill sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 in Islamabad, defining anyone under 18 as a child.

Why It Matters: A Pakistani cleric openly defied child marriage and domestic violence laws, sparking a major controversy.