• The anti-child marriage measure has been pending in the Balochistan Assembly for the past 8 years.

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    The anti-child marriage measure has been pending in the Balochistan Assembly for the past 8 years.




     Digital Desk: A legislator informed the consultation group that a draught
    anti-child marriage bill has been pending before the Balochistan Assembly for
    the past eight years.



     



    A committee made up of
    all stakeholders will be formed to start a conversation about "Child
    marriage" in order to reach an agreement among all parties, according to
    the consultation, which was held in collaboration with the Education and Youth
    Empowerment Society and Girls, not Brides.



     



    A National Party
    lawmaker named Shama Ishaq claimed that obstacles erected by other parties were
    the cause of the delay.



     



    Rubaba Khan Buledi,
    the Parliamentary Secretary for Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Science, and
    Technology in Balochistan, presided over the meeting.



     



    Several attendees
    voiced worry over the opposition to the child marriage bill shown by religious
    organisations and other groups.



     



    Female lawmakers
    claimed that while female MPAs made every attempt to reach agreement on the age
    limit and convinced the male members to support the child marriage measure,
    they were met with vehement opposition from lawmakers from religious parties on
    the matter.



     



    In order to get the
    Council of Islamic Ideology's (CII) view on the age limit issue, the bill was
    twice forwarded to the CII, according to Buledi and Parliamentary Secretary for
    Women's Development Mahjabeen Sheeran.



     



    Dawn stated that even
    though the CII chairman had provided his suggestions, the council was once more
    given the opportunity to consider them.



     



    Dr. Buledi and the
    chairwoman of the Balochistan Commission on the Status of Women, Fauzia
    Shaheen, proposed the formation of a special committee that would meet with the
    leaders of the political parties and seek their agreement for a consensus on
    the legal age for child marriage.