[Today’s Prayer] Pakistan makes progress on bill to prevent forced conversion and child marriage… strengthening penalties for underage marriage

According to Christian Daily International (CDI), on April 14 (local time), a key committee of the Punjab Provincial Assembly in Pakistan approved a bill aimed at preventing forced conversions and forced marriages targeting girls from religious minorities such as Christians and Hindus, signaling the start of full-scale institutional reform. This legislative move is seen as a measure to reduce the practice of child marriage and strengthen child protection systems.

According to local media reports, on April 13, the Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Local Government and Community Development approved the “Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026.” Despite opposition from some committee members, the bill passed the committee and was referred to the relevant local government department to prepare implementing regulations. It will later require final approval in the full session of the Punjab Provincial Assembly.

Previously, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider had promulgated a related ordinance on February 11, allowing it to take effect temporarily for 90 days. Without formal legislative approval by the assembly, it was set to expire in May.

■ Strengthening the ban on child marriage… expected protection for religious minorities

The committee stated that the purpose of the bill is to curb child marriage, address legal inequalities based on gender, and strengthen child protection systems. The need for the bill has been emphasized especially because of ongoing reports that girls from minority religious communities, such as Christians and Hindus, are exposed to the risks of forced marriage and forced conversion.

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■ Continued calls to address forced conversion and forced marriage

Human rights groups have long argued that the legal minimum marriage age for women should be raised to 18. Criticism has been raised that the existing legal system, by applying different standards based on gender, has failed to adequately protect girls—particularly those from vulnerable religious minority communities such as Christians and Hindus—from forced marriage and abuse.

Attempts to amend the law since 1929 have faced difficulties due to opposition from some religious leaders and political groups. The Council of Islamic Ideology, a constitutional advisory body, has opposed setting a legal marriage age, arguing that religious law does not provide a clear age standard in the same way as modern legal systems.

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Pakistan is a Muslim-majority country and was ranked 8th on the 2026 World Watch List published by the international Christian human rights organization Open Doors, which identifies countries where it is difficult to practice the Christian faith.

Source: Christian Daily

My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare (Psalm 25:15)

God, we hear the news that a bill proposed to prevent forced conversion and forced marriage of girls from religious minorities in Pakistan has passed a committee in the Punjab Provincial Assembly, and that related institutional reforms are now beginning in earnest.

In Pakistan, an Islamic country where persecution of those who follow minority religions—especially Christians—is intensifying, may this legislation be finally passed and swiftly implemented so that Christian girls in Pakistan may be protected from forced marriage and forced conversion and delivered from all risks of abuse.

May the prayers and efforts of many who have long raised their voices and fought to protect girls exposed to these issues bear fruit, and may the church in Pakistan become a strong pillar for this cause.

Also, through educational missions, may Christian girls in Pakistan be given opportunities to learn and grow their dreams, and may the global church join together in prayer and service for this purpose.

May Christians in Pakistan always look to God, who is with them even in suffering, trust in Him who will deliver them from the snares of unjust laws, and continue to follow the Lord to the end.

And so, may Pakistan become a nation that does not retreat in the face of persecution but boldly proclaims the cross of Jesus Christ to all nations.