ISLAMABAD: The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2017 has been referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) for review due to its sensitivity.
The matter of extension for “The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2017” was discussed in the Senate and was sent for further deliberation to the CII, said a spokesman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior Chairman Rehman Malik on Thursday.The bill moved by Senator Sehar Kamran is not about the “child marriage” itself as that is already an act of parliament; however, what Senator Sehar Kamran proposed was an amendment for a two-year increase in already declared legal age i.e. from 16 to 18 years.
It may be mentioned here that the mover of the Bill, Senator Sehar Kamran chose to attend another meeting rather than this meeting held on October 10, 2017 and her two absences were noticed by the Committee yet the matter was referred to Council of Islamic Ideology.
He said the chairman of the committee cannot cast vote to reject or pass the bill but members of the committee after discussion either reject or pass any bill. He said it was decided the said bill shall be reconsidered and once again be placed before the committee. In this regard, Sindh Assembly’s bill on the same subject shall also be considered, adding that the final recommendations on the bill after due diligence shall be referred to the House.