Christian lawyers in Pakistan receive training on new child marriage laws

Christian attorneys from across Pakistan’s Punjab province gathered in Multan on August 21-22 for a specialized workshop focused on the implementation of the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026. The legislation, which took effect on May 11, establishes 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage for both boys and girls. The training was organized by Liberty Law Partners with support from ADF International to help legal professionals navigate the complexities of cases involving child marriage, abduction, and forced religious conversion.

Supreme Court Advocate Muhammad Saqib Jillani led several sessions, providing instruction on litigation strategies, evidence gathering, and the use of constitutional protections for religious minorities. Workshop organizer Lazar Allah Rakha noted that these cases often involve overlapping legal challenges, requiring attorneys to pursue criminal and constitutional remedies simultaneously. The training aimed to bridge the gap between legislative reform and courtroom practice, specifically addressing the difficulties of proving a minor's age and challenging the validity of disputed religious conversions in legal proceedings.