A standing committee of Pakistan's Punjab Assembly has approved the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026, which sets 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage for both boys and girls. Previously, the minimum age was 18 for men but only 16 for women under a 1929 law. The bill, which must now pass the full assembly to remain in force after an interim ordinance lapses in May, introduces strict penalties for violations — including imprisonment of up to seven years for adults who cohabit with a child spouse — and holds guardians legally accountable for failing to prevent underage marriages. Some committee members opposed the legislation, arguing it conflicted with the constitution and Islamic law, which permits marriage upon puberty.