IN Pakistan, patriarchy cloaked in cultural preservation continues to endanger the lives of young girls, with child marriage remaining one of its most tragic manifestations.

Far from being a private tradition, it is a state-tolerated injustice, as reflected in the Council of Islamic Ideology’s regressive dismissal of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025 as “un-Islamic.” Such resistance ignores the fundamental rights of girls to safety, education and autonomy. Beyond religious or cultural interpretations, the bill represents a necessary step toward aligning national policy with universal human rights. The devastating toll of child marriage—on health, freedom, education and social mobility—can no longer be masked by appeals to tradition or the illusion of family honour.

In Dadu village, the Monsoon dawn brings light but sets in a sky stained........

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