*ISLAMABAD – The Senate on Monday approved the Child Marriage Restraint(Amendment) Bill, 2018.*
It proposes that the legal minimum age of marriage in the country be set at18.
The bill was presented by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, who told the Housethat according to a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund, around21% Pakistanis got married before turning 18.
“Every 20 minutes, a Pakistani woman dies from childbirth or complicationsin pregnancy. This is largely attributable to a large number of women,especially under-age girls, having little power or agency over theirbodies,” she said.
Rehman said Muslim countries, including Oman, Turkey and United ArabEmirates have already set 18 as the minimum age of entering marriage, Dawnreported.