Balochistan case exposes the continuing global crisis of child marriage
Introduction
At an age when a child should be holding a toy rather than being assigned a husband, the life of a three-year-old girl in Pakistan’s Balochistan province was allegedly turned into the subject of a multimillion-rupee marriage agreement.
The case, reported from the border city of Chaman, has triggered outrage not only because of the girl’s age but also because it highlights how poverty, family disputes, traditional practices and weak enforcement of child-protection laws can combine to put children at extreme risk.
According to international media reports, the girl’s father, Abdul Baqi, allegedly agreed to hand over his three-year-old daughter for marriage to 60-year-old Salahuddin in return for 2.5 million Pakistani rupees — roughly US$9,000. Police intervened before the agreed amount was fully paid, and the marriage arrangement had not been completed, according to reports.
The girl’s father was arrested, while Salahuddin was reported to be absconding as police continued their search.
The case took an even more disturbing turn when investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the death of the girl’s elder sister, Shukria Bibi, who was killed in Kuchlak, near Quetta, around two weeks before the child-marriage case came to light. Shukria had reportedly been married at a young age to Kamran, the son of the same 60-year-old man involved in the alleged marriage arrangement.
Police have arrested Shukria’s husband in connection with her death. Investigators are examining whether the killing and the alleged marriage arrangement involving the three-year-old girl were connected. That link, however, remains a matter of investigation and has not been judicially established.
The Chaman case is therefore more than an isolated family dispute. It raises broader questions about the effectiveness of child-marriage laws, the role of customary practices such as Walwar, the impact of poverty and the ability of governments to protect children in remote and economically vulnerable communities.
What happened in Chaman?
According to reports by The Media Line and Pakistani media, police in Chaman discovered an alleged arrangement to marry a three-year-old girl to a 60-year-old man.
The girl’s father, Abdul Baqi, allegedly agreed to the marriage in exchange for 2.5 million Pakistani rupees.
Police reportedly found that the full amount had not yet been paid. The intervention therefore came before the agreement could be completed and the child formally handed over.
The father was arrested, while the alleged prospective husband, Salahuddin, went into hiding, according to reports.
The authorities subsequently placed the child and her mother under protection.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti also directed authorities to investigate the case and take legal action against those responsible.
What is ‘Walwar’?
One of the most important aspects of the case is the reference to Walwar, a customary marriage-related payment found in parts of Pashtun society.
Under the practice, money is paid by the groom or his family to the bride’s family.
Walwar itself cannot automatically be equated with child trafficking or the sale of a girl. However, when marriage and substantial financial transactions become directly linked, human-rights advocates warn that economically vulnerable girls can become exposed to exploitation and forced marriage.
In the Chaman case, police reportedly found documentation relating to the financial agreement, although the entire amount had not been transferred when authorities intervened.
The case therefore raises a fundamental question:
When a child’s marriage becomes part of a financial transaction, how can the child’s rights and consent be protected?
The Shukria Bibi connection
The investigation into the three-year-old girl’s alleged marriage arrangement also brought investigators to the death of her elder sister, Shukria Bibi.
According to The Media Line, Shukria had reportedly been married at around the age of 13 to Kamran, the son of Salahuddin.
The marriage allegedly involved a Walwar payment of approximately 1.5 million Pakistani rupees.
Investigators are examining whether disputes between the two families over marriage arrangements and financial transactions contributed to the later violence.
Shukria was killed in Kuchlak, near Quetta. Her husband, Kamran, has been arrested in connection with the case.
Police are investigating whether the murder and the alleged attempt to arrange the three-year-old girl’s marriage were connected.
At this stage, however, there is no final judicial finding establishing such a connection.
Poverty and economic pressure
According to reports, the girl’s father cited poverty and his desire to establish a home as factors behind accepting the marriage-related payment.
Economic hardship does not provide a legal justification for arranging a child’s marriage. But poverty is widely recognised by UNICEF and other international organisations as one of the factors associated with child marriage.
Families facing extreme financial pressure may view marriage-related payments as a source of income or as a way of reducing economic responsibility for a daughter.
This is why international child-protection agencies increasingly emphasise that laws must be accompanied by social-protection programmes, education and economic support for vulnerable families.
Balochistan’s 2025 child-marriage law
The Chaman case is particularly significant because Balochistan strengthened its legal framework against child marriage in 2025.
The Balochistan Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2025 was passed by the provincial assembly in November 2025 and subsequently came into force.
The law defines a child as a person below the age of 18.
Penalties
An adult man who marries a child can face:
Two to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs200,000.
The law also provides punishment for people who:
- arrange a child marriage;
- facilitate it;
- encourage it;
- solemnise it; or
- otherwise assist in the marriage.
Marriage registrars and Nikah Khwans can also face punishment for registering a marriage without properly verifying the parties’ ages.
The offence is classified as cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.
The law also contains provisions dealing with marriages involving the sale or trafficking of children. In such circumstances, the marriage can be treated as void ab initio, meaning invalid from the beginning.
This provision could become particularly significant if investigators establish that the Chaman arrangement involved the sale or trafficking of the child.
Government response
Following the emergence of the case, the Balochistan government ordered an investigation.
Authorities have:
- arrested the girl’s father;
- launched a search for the alleged 60-year-old prospective husband;
- placed the child and her mother under protection;
- investigated the alleged financial arrangement; and
- expanded the investigation to examine the death of Shukria Bibi.
Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has called for legal action against those responsible.
The final charges and the extent of criminal liability will depend on the outcome of the police investigation and subsequent court proceedings.
Child marriage in Balochistan: the data
Despite the introduction of stricter legislation, child marriage remains a serious social problem in Balochistan.
According to UNICEF Pakistan’s State of Children in Pakistan data, 21.9 per cent of women aged 20–24 in Balochistan were married before the age of 18.
The same data shows that around 7.2 per cent were married before reaching the age of 15.
Census-based figures also indicate that a significant proportion of girls aged 15–17 in the province are already married or have previously been married.
Nationally, UNICEF data shows that approximately 18.3 per cent of women aged 20–24 in Pakistan were married before the age of 18, while around 3.6 per cent were married before the age of 15.
Why does child marriage continue despite strict laws?
Experts and international organisations identify several interconnected factors.
Poverty
Poor families may regard marriage as a way of reducing economic pressure or obtaining financial support.
Lack of education
Girls who leave school early are more vulnerable to early marriage.
Social pressure
In some communities, families face strong pressure to marry daughters at a young age.
Customary practices
Traditional marriage arrangements and financial transactions can sometimes operate alongside formal legal systems.
Weak birth registration
When children do not have reliable birth certificates, verifying their age becomes difficult.
Weak enforcement
A law can only be effective if police, prosecutors, courts and child-protection authorities have the resources and institutional capacity to enforce it.
Conflict and displacement
War, displacement and economic instability can increase the vulnerability of girls to early and forced marriage.
Pakistan’s wider legal and religious debate
Pakistan has witnessed significant debate over efforts to raise and enforce the minimum age of marriage.
In 2025, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) criticised legislation concerning child marriage in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
The council argued that provisions criminalising marriage below 18 and imposing penalties were inconsistent with its interpretation of Islamic principles.
However, it is important to distinguish that position from the Balochistan Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2025. The CII’s reported objections primarily concerned federal legislation applicable to Islamabad rather than constituting a ruling against the Balochistan provincial law itself.
The debate reflects a broader tension in Pakistan between efforts to establish uniform child-protection standards and arguments based on religious, customary and family-law traditions.
The global child-marriage crisis
The problem extends far beyond Pakistan.
According to UNICEF, hundreds of millions of women and girls alive today were married during childhood.
Approximately 12 million girls are married every year before reaching the age of 18.
Child marriage remains particularly prevalent in parts of West and Central Africa and South Asia.
UNICEF estimates that around 45 per cent of the world’s child brides live in South Asia, making the region a central focus of international efforts to eliminate the practice.
At the same time, South Asia has recorded substantial long-term progress in reducing child marriage.
India
According to UNICEF, around 23 per cent of women aged 20–24 in India were married before the age of 18.
India’s principal law is the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
Under the law:
- girls below 18 are considered children for marriage purposes;
- boys below 21 are considered children;
- child marriage is prohibited;
- certain child marriages can be annulled;
- people who conduct or facilitate child marriages can face criminal prosecution.
An adult male who marries a child can face up to two years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to Rs100,000.
The law also provides for Child Marriage Prohibition Officers and gives authorities powers to intervene before a marriage takes place.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh has one of the highest child-marriage rates in Asia.
UNICEF data indicates that more than half of women aged 20–24 were married before reaching 18 in recent national estimates.
The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017 provides criminal penalties for child marriage.
Depending on the circumstances, adults involved in arranging or conducting child marriages can face imprisonment and fines.
However, the legislation also contains a “special circumstances” provision, which has been criticised by child-rights organisations because it can permit marriage below the normal minimum age under certain conditions.
Niger
Niger has one of the highest recorded child-marriage prevalence rates in the world.
UNICEF estimates based on national data have shown that approximately three-quarters of girls marry before the age of 18, while a significant proportion marry before 15.
Niger’s legal framework is complicated by the interaction between formal law, customary practices and community traditions.
Government agencies and UNICEF-supported programmes have therefore focused not only on legislation but also on:
- keeping girls in school;
- community education;
- engagement with religious leaders;
- traditional leaders; and
- economic support for vulnerable families.
Chad
Chad also has one of the world’s highest child-marriage rates.
UNICEF data has shown that more than half of young women marry before reaching 18.
Chadian law establishes 18 as the minimum marriage age and provides criminal penalties for child marriage.
Those involved can face five to ten years’ imprisonment and financial penalties, depending on the offence.
Yet enforcement remains difficult in areas where customary and religious practices remain influential.
The Chad experience demonstrates that severe penalties alone do not necessarily eliminate child marriage.
Nigeria
Nigeria has millions of child brides.
UNICEF estimates that roughly three in ten girls nationally marry before reaching 18, although older national estimates have been considerably higher.
The Child Rights Act provides the national legal framework against child marriage, but implementation varies between states.
This creates an important enforcement challenge: national legislation does not automatically guarantee uniform protection across every part of the country.
Afghanistan
UNICEF estimates that roughly one in three Afghan girls is married before the age of 18.
Poverty, lack of educational opportunities, displacement, conflict and gender inequality all contribute to the problem.
UNICEF has documented cases in which girls were promised or arranged for marriage at extremely young ages.
The situation has become particularly complex amid Afghanistan’s prolonged humanitarian and economic crisis.
Yemen
Yemen also has a serious child-marriage problem.
According to UNICEF data based on the country’s 2023 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey:
- approximately 30 per cent of women aged 20–24 were married before 18;
- around 1.3 million women were married before reaching 15.
The absence of a strong and consistently enforced national minimum-age framework has been a major concern.
Conflict, displacement and poverty further increase the vulnerability of girls.
Child marriage: a comparative snapshot
| Country/Region | Approximate prevalence before 18 | Legal position |
|---|---|---|
| Balochistan, Pakistan | 21.9% | Minimum age 18; 2–3 years’ imprisonment and fines for certain offences |
| India | ~23% | Prohibited; adult male can face up to 2 years’ imprisonment and/or fine |
| Bangladesh | 50%+ | Prohibited; criminal penalties, with a special-circumstances exception |
| Chad | 50%+ | Minimum age 18; significant criminal penalties |
| Niger | ~75%+ | Complex interaction between statutory and customary law |
| Nigeria | ~30% | Child Rights Act plus state-level laws |
| Afghanistan | ~1 in 3 | Legal protections exist but enforcement is a major challenge |
| Yemen | ~30% | National minimum-age protection remains weak |
Important: These figures come from surveys and datasets covering different years and should not be interpreted as a single-year global ranking.
The consequences go far beyond marriage
Child marriage is closely associated with:
- school dropout;
- adolescent pregnancy;
- maternal-health risks;
- economic dependence;
- increased vulnerability to domestic violence;
- reduced employment opportunities; and
- intergenerational poverty.
For many girls, marriage at a very young age effectively ends their education and limits their ability to make independent decisions about their future.
This is why UNICEF, UN Women and UNFPA approach child marriage not simply as a family or cultural issue, but as a child-rights, gender-equality, education, health and development issue.
What can reduce child marriage?
International experience indicates that legislation works best when combined with broader social interventions.
Keep girls in school
Secondary education is consistently associated with lower child-marriage rates.
Strengthen social protection
Financial support can reduce the pressure on poor families to arrange early marriages.
Improve birth registration
Accurate documentation makes age verification possible.
Strengthen child-protection services
Police, social workers, shelters, prosecutors and courts need to work together.
Engage communities
Religious leaders, tribal elders and community organisations can play an important role in changing social norms.
Expand economic opportunities
Education, vocational training and employment opportunities can give girls alternatives to early marriage.
The questions raised by the Chaman case
The case raises several important questions.
Can legislation alone stop child marriage?
Balochistan’s 2025 law establishes a clear legal prohibition, yet the Chaman case allegedly occurred despite that framework.
Can poverty justify child marriage?
No. Poverty may help explain the circumstances surrounding a case, but it does not provide a legal justification for violating a child’s rights.
Does Walwar itself constitute child trafficking?
Not automatically. The legal issue depends on the specific circumstances, the age of the girl, the purpose of the transaction and the evidence gathered by investigators.
Was Shukria Bibi’s murder connected to the marriage arrangement?
Police are investigating that possibility, but a final connection has not been judicially established.
Can Pakistan eliminate child marriage through legislation alone?
International experience suggests that enforcement must be accompanied by education, poverty reduction, social protection and changes in community attitudes.
Conclusion
The alleged attempt to arrange the marriage of a three-year-old girl to a 60-year-old man for millions of Pakistani rupees has once again brought Pakistan’s child-marriage crisis into the international spotlight.
The case is particularly significant because it emerged after Balochistan introduced a law explicitly setting 18 as the minimum age of marriage and imposing criminal penalties on those who arrange, conduct or facilitate child marriages.
Yet the persistence of child marriage in the province shows the gap that can exist between legislation and social reality.
The Chaman case also demonstrates how child marriage can intersect with poverty, financial transactions, family disputes and violence. The alleged connection with the killing of Shukria Bibi makes the case even more complex, although investigators have yet to establish a definitive link between the two incidents.
Across the world, from South Asia to West and Central Africa, the evidence points to the same broader challenge: laws are essential, but laws alone are not enough.
Ending child marriage requires reliable birth registration, access to education, economic support for vulnerable families, effective policing and prosecution, strong child-protection systems and sustained engagement with communities.
For a three-year-old child, the central issue is ultimately simple: her future should not be determined by a financial transaction, a family dispute or a customary practice.
The challenge for governments is to ensure that the protection promised by law reaches children not only in courtrooms and statutes, but also inside the homes and communities where decisions about their futures are made.
