Pakistan's Punjab Assembly (the legislative body of Pakistan's most populous province) has passed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026, setting 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage for both boys and girls and classifying underage marriage as a non-bailable offence. The bill replaces a colonial-era law that previously allowed girls to marry at 16, and follows an ordinance issued by the Punjab governor in February that required parliamentary approval to remain in force. The legislation passed after heated debate, with cross-party consensus also secured on a key amendment ensuring that child parties to a marriage are not treated as offenders under the law.