Can Parents Legally Stop a Court Marriage in Pakistan?
No, the parents cannot legally stop a court marriage in Pakistan. It is the legal right of every adult Pakistani citizen to get married with their own choice, and the parents cannot interfere in the registration of the marriage. For the question can parents stop court marriage in Pakistan the answer is a big NO.
Age of Marriage
For the children to get married, the legal requirement is the age limit of 18 years. If they are of the age of 18 years and they have valid proof of their age, then they will not be considered minors, and they are legally free to get married.
In Case the Child is a Minor
If the person doing the marriage is a child and is a minor, or below the age of 18 years, the parents can legally stop the court marriage in Pakistan.
The legal right to get married is only for the citizens who are adults. If the age of the bride or the groom is below 18 years, they will be considered a child or a minor. As per the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026, a child below the age of 18 years cannot register his or her marriage.
Stay Order by Parents
If a male or a female doing a court marriage in Pakistan is a minor or below the age of 18 years and they have done the marriage, they will be criminally liable for it.
Before the marriage also, the parents can obtain a stay order against such marriage. If the parents have a threat that the child will do the marriage, the parents can stop the court marriage in Pakistan of these minors.
Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026
The current law on child marriage has been passed by the government by the name of the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026.
According to this law:
- Any male or female who does marriage with the opposite sex while being a minor will be liable under the law.
- Any person conducting the marriage with a minor will be considered a criminal and will be liable to criminal action.
- Not only the person conducting the marriage with the minor will be guilty of a crime, but any person registering such marriage will also be criminally liable for this act.
Marriage is a Legal Right of Every Adult
According to Pakistani law, marriage is a legal right of every adult. If a person is above the age of 18 years, he or she will not be considered a minor or a child.
Such adult Muslim Pakistani citizens have the legal right to get married to anyone of their own choice, and the parents cannot legally stop such a court marriage in Pakistan.
This right is guaranteed by Pakistani law. If anyone wants to avail this right, he or she is free to avail the services of marriage from a lawyer in Pakistan also.
If the spouse has a threat that the parents will stop or hinder them from conducting the marriage, they can avail the services of court marriage in Pakistan.
Illegally Stopping a Marriage is a Crime
An adult Pakistani citizen has the legal right to marry anyone.
If anyone illegally stops such a marriage from being conducted, it is also a crime. Legally, no one is allowed to stop or restrain an adult Muslim from getting married legally.
No Police Can Interfere
No police can interfere in the act of marriage of an adult Pakistani citizen.
The police have no legal right to stop an adult Pakistani citizen from getting married to someone of their own choice.
If any police officer does any such act of stopping the legal right of a Pakistani citizen, it will be considered a crime. The police can also be legally proceeded against for such an act.
Court Should Be Satisfied to Obtain the Stay Order
If the parents want to obtain a stay order against any such child marriage, they can file a case before the court.
According to the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026, no court will pass a stay order until notice is sent to the other party to object to such a stay order. The court should be satisfied, and only then can a stay order be obtained.
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