A worthy proposal

Sherani needs to understand that parliament is precisely the place where such matters must be discussed.

PML-N MNA Marvi Memon, an inveterate child and women’s rights campaigner, has taken up cudgels on behalf of civil society opposed to the recent pronouncements of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) supporting child marriages and has called for insertion of harsher punishment in the relevant piece of legislation for those guilty of promoting underage marriages. This stance, taken up by a parliamentarian belonging to the government, and which is in clear opposition to that of the CII, is highly welcome. While a lot of work needs to be done with regard to the passing of the kind of legislation that Ms Memon proposed — as she will face obvious and very strong resistance — this is a step in the right direction and sends across the message that the pronouncements of the CII do not need to have a bearing on our laws.



It goes without saying that despite there being a law in our statute books against underage marriages, this practice is in vogue in many parts of the country. What is clearly needed is harsher legislation and strict implementation of it, to put a stop to this medieval practice. The premise of Ms Memon’s stance is that the girls married off at an early age are left to grapple with a whole lot of complications. A high women mortality rate is also associated with the trend.

However, the CII chief, Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, also a JUI-F MNA, did not let this move pass unchallenged and mounted a robust defence of the council’s decree. According to him, religion allows for marriages to be solemnised when a girl attains puberty. He also wondered aloud as to why the matter was broached in parliament in the first place when the CII had given its recommendations.

Here Mr Sherani needs to understand that as parliament enjoys the status of being the supreme law-making body in the country, it is precisely the place where such matters must be discussed. While we cannot ignore the fact that the issue at hand is a sensitive one and warrants careful handling, the broad concerns of civil society with regard to underage marriage must be addressed.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2014.

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