Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday strongly objected to recent legislations aimed at reducing domestic violence, protecting children from child marriages, and safeguarding transgender community’s rights.
On November 13, the National Assembly also passed a bill – awaiting the Senate’s approval – to protect people against domestic violence in Islamabad. A day later, the Balochistan Assembly adopted a bill to ban child marriages with a majority, amidst a protest by opposition lawmakers, including JUI-F’s Younis Zehri.
In September, the Balochistan cabinet approved the province’s first-ever transgender policy to ensure the community’s social and economic inclusion.
Addressing the media in Islamabad today, the JUI-F chief said, “Some legislation has been enacted regarding the marriage of children below the age of 18 years, regarding transgenders, and regarding domestic violence.”
The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2025 aims to establish an effective system of protection, relief and rehabilitation of women, men, transgender persons, children and any vulnerable person against domestic violence. It provides jail terms ranging from six months to three years, and a fine of up to Rs100,000, if the offence does not fall under the Pakistan Penal Code.
Speaking about child marriages, Fazl took exception to terming those under 18 as “na-baaligh” (minors), asking which sect’s Islamic laws stated as such.
“Strengthening the law to the point that if a marriage or nikkah is done before 18, it will be called sexual abuse and will be interpreted as rape, and a punishment will be given accordingly,” he said.
Pakistan is home to over 19 million child brides, with nearly 1 in 6 young women married before the age of 18, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef).
While Sindh and the Islamabad Capital Territory already enforce 18 as the minimum marriage age for girls, the Punjab government is also set to introduce the Child Marriage Restraint Act to set the same threshold.
During his media talk, the JUI-F chief also criticised the Protection of Women Bill 2006, which had been introduced amid opposition from religious parties during Gen Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship, to amend widely criticised Hudood laws.
He pointedly said the PPP had voted in favour of that bill, and “today as well, hindrances were being created in the way of permitted nikkah”. The PPP is in power in Balochistan, where the recent anti-child marriage bill and the transgender policy were introduced.
Fazl went on to term it a “weird point” and a “joke” that, although child marriages would be considered as rape, a child born out of it would be legitimate. “And the father will be bound to pay for its expenses,” he added.
It is unclear whether any of the recent legislation specified this. However, in March, the Lahore High Court ruled that a biological father was under an obligation to maintain his child even if born as a consequence of rape.
On the legislation pertaining to the transgender community, Fazl sought the “justification” for individuals born as a “complete male or a complete female” being allowed to change their gender.
“Perhaps, they do not even have as much freedom there in the West as we have given them here in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” he claimed.
The JUI-F chief said he did not “expect” such decisions from the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his PML-N.
He alleged that the new laws were being passed on an “agenda” of the United Nations. He described laws and conventions enacted by international rights bodies as “slavery”.
During his media briefing, Fazl also “completely rejected” the recently enacted 27th Amendment, which had been assailed by other opposition parties as well.
While praising the armed forces’ performance and courage during the May conflict with India, Fazl objected to the “lifetime perks” given to top military officers.
“These are perhaps such unique perks that Pakistan’s democratic society does not require them at all,” the senior politician said.
He urged President Asif Ali Zardari and the three services chiefs to reject the lifetime immunity offered under the 27th Amendment themselves.
Fazl expressed his reservations about the PPP “playing a role in the backslide of democracy instead of raising the slogan of democracy”, as it could not block the changes that were earlier opposed during the 26th Amendment.
The JUI-F chief said the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) and the Supreme Court Shariat Appellate Bench’s jurisdictions were not kept in mind when drafting the 27th Amendment. He contended that appeals against FSC decisions would be marred by confusion about whether the SC would hear them or the Federal Constitutional Court.