The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday expressed concern on the two recent judgments of Islamabad High Court (IHC) about marriageable age.
The CII, in a statement, said the IHC had declared the marriage of persons below the age of 18 years illegal and in conflict with the provisions of sections 385 (forcible adultery) and 388-A (sexual abuse). It said in the opinion of esteemed members of the Council, to classify such a marriage as adultery or coercion was contrary to the principles of Shariah and against accepted interpretations of family law of Pakistan (PLD1962KAR442).
In the wake of this decision, the baby would be questionable and could lead to many social problems for the family, it added.
The council, therefore, stated that it would be incorrect to classify the marriage of an underage couple as a form of adultery or rape. It said such decisions did not conform to the texts of the Holy Quran and Sunnah and Shariah’s rules of Hadud and Nikah.
The IHC registrar had been informed through a letter about the council’s concerns, it maintained.
