At just 15, Rakhshanda’s childhood came to an abrupt end when her father arranged her marriage to Shahid, a man considerably older than her. It was 2010, and she had completed only fifth grade. Her education stopped after marriage, and she entered a life of responsibilities before she had the chance to experience adolescence. Now 30, she is the mother of six children.
Rakhshanda says her sisters married men who were approximately their own age. She wonders whether her physical disability influenced her father’s decision to marry her off early. One of her legs is shorter than the other, making it difficult for her to walk like other girls.
“No one asked me what I wanted or explained anything to me,” she recalls. “When my sisters were married, their prospective in-laws came to see them and chose them. But when it came to me, everything was different. My father made the decision himself.”
Her experience reflects the challenges faced by girls whose lives are shaped by early marriage, limited educational opportunities and family decisions made without their consent.
In Balochistan, child marriage remains a serious social concern despite growing awareness and legislation intended to protect children. Poverty, limited access to education, social expectations and traditional practices can all contribute to the problem.
Child marriage statistics in Balochistan
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019–20, conducted by Balochistan’s Planning and Development Department with technical support from UNICEF under the Global MICS Programme, 7.2 per cent of women aged 20–24 in the province had entered their first marriage before the age of 15. Another 21.9 per cent had married before turning 18.
Among men in the same age group, 1.6 per cent had married before the age of 15, while 6.4 per cent had married before reaching 18.
The figures highlight the unequal impact of early marriage on girls and boys in the province. For many girls, marriage at a young age can interrupt education, limit personal choices and place adult responsibilities on them before they are physically and emotionally prepared.
The Aurat Foundation has also documented violence against women and other forms of violence in Balochistan. According to the organisation, 472 incidents of violence against women were reported in the province between 2019 and 2025, including 270 killings of men and women in the name of honour.
These figures underline the need for stronger protection mechanisms, effective law enforcement and sustained efforts to address the social conditions that leave women and girls vulnerable.
Balochistan passes law prohibiting child marriage
On November 15, 2025, the Balochistan Assembly passed legislation prohibiting child marriage and defining anyone under 18 as a child. The Balochistan Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025 applies throughout the province and allows any person or organisation to lodge a complaint against a child marriage.
Under the legislation, cases are to be heard by a first-class judicial magistrate. Appeals against a sentence or order may be filed before a district and sessions judge within three days.
The law provides for imprisonment and fines for people involved in arranging, facilitating, encouraging or assisting a marriage involving a person under 18.
It also places responsibilities on Nikah registrars, marriage solemnisation officials and union council secretaries. They are required to retain computerised national identity card records of the parties and witnesses, along with relevant marriage documentation. Failure to fulfil these responsibilities is punishable under the legislation.
The law represents a legal framework for preventing child marriage. However, its effectiveness will depend on enforcement, public awareness, accurate birth registration and the willingness of families and communities to report violations.
Killing of a 15-year-old girl raises fresh concerns
A recent case involving the alleged killing of 15-year-old Shukria Bibi in Kuchlak, near Quetta, has renewed attention to child marriage and the vulnerability of underage girls.
According to Deputy Commissioner Chaman Habib Bangulzai, the father of a young girl named Babo, identified as Abdul Baqi, was arrested in Chaman in connection with a case involving the alleged marriage of a minor girl to an elderly man. Bangulzai said the circumstances appeared to be linked to the killing of Shukria Bibi in Kuchlak.
According to police, around two years earlier, Shukria’s father, Abdul Baqi, had arranged her marriage to Kamran, the son of 60-year-old Salah Uddin, in exchange for a walwar payment of Rs1.5 million.
Walwar is a traditional marriage-related payment practised in some communities in Balochistan.
Police further alleged that, a few months before the incident, Abdul Baqi had arranged the Nikah of his three-year-old daughter with Salah Uddin in connection with a payment of Rs2.5 million. Salah Uddin later allegedly demanded that the family send its eight-year-old daughter to live with his family instead of the three-year-old girl.
These allegations point to the risks children can face when marriage arrangements are made without regard for their age, safety or rights.
According to the first information report (FIR) registered on the complaint of Kuchlak police station’s SHO Jameel Ur Rahman, police received information through their wireless network and reached a trauma centre, where they found a girl dead.
Kamran, who was standing beside the body, identified himself as Shukria Bibi’s husband. A female doctor examined the body and reported signs of physical violence on different parts of the girl’s body.
The FIR states that, during preliminary questioning, the suspect allegedly told investigators that he had repeatedly stopped Shukria from looking through the doorway at people passing along the street. On the day of the incident, he allegedly became angry when she continued doing so.
According to the FIR, at around 5:30 p.m., the suspect allegedly beat Shukria with iron rods, killing her. He then reportedly changed her clothes and took her body to the hospital.
Police arrested Kamran on suspicion of killing his wife. The allegations remain subject to the legal process.
Violence against women remains a concern
The Aurat Foundation’s 2025 annual report recorded 123 incidents of violence in Balochistan during the year. It stated that 58 men and women were killed in the name of honour. The report also recorded 90 cases of murder and so-called honour killings involving 65 women and 25 men.
The figures draw attention to the broader environment in which girls and women can face violence, restrictions on their choices and pressure to conform to family or community expectations.
For child marriage to decline, legal protections must be accompanied by measures that help girls remain in school, give families economic security and challenge attitudes that treat daughters’ futures as decisions for others to make.
Poverty, education and social attitudes contribute to child marriage
Allaudin Khilji, regional director of the Aurat Foundation in Balochistan, says child marriage cannot be attributed to a single cause. Instead, it results from interconnected social, economic and cultural factors.
These include poverty, limited access to education, long distances to schools, family perceptions of honour and protection, and the belief in some households that marrying off a daughter early will reduce family responsibilities. In certain areas, traditional and tribal structures can also reinforce the practice.
Khilji acknowledges a relationship between poverty and early marriage in parts of Balochistan but cautions against assuming that only poor families marry off their daughters at a young age.
“The reality is much more complicated,” he says.
In low-income households, a daughter’s marriage may sometimes be viewed as a way to reduce the family’s financial burden. Yet tackling child marriage requires more than legislation.
Reducing poverty, expanding girls’ access to education, providing vocational training and creating opportunities for safe employment are equally important. Families also need social protection and economic support so that financial pressures do not push them towards decisions that deprive girls of their childhood and future choices.
Khilji says tribal customs and traditional practices reinforce early marriage in certain areas and specific social circumstances. However, he stresses that it would be inappropriate to blame all tribes or traditions across Balochistan.
Rather than targeting traditions as a whole, he argues, efforts should focus on changing attitudes that deny girls their fundamental rights, education and freedom to make decisions about their futures.
“Tribal and religious elders, parents, teachers and young people must all become part of this change,” he says.
“I often say that unless we change our thinking, girls will continue to suffer. We need to change the mindset of the people who shape our social and community life.”
Implementing the child marriage law remains a challenge
According to Khilji, the greatest challenge is not simply passing the law but implementing it effectively and ensuring that people understand its provisions.
He calls for clear standard operating procedures, effective oversight of marriage registrars, mandatory birth registration and accessible complaint mechanisms. He also stresses the need for training for police and judicial officials, alongside public awareness campaigns.
Birth registration is particularly important because reliable records can help authorities establish a child’s age and identify cases in which a marriage may violate the law.
Accessible complaint mechanisms can also help community members and organisations report suspected violations. At the same time, police and judicial officials need appropriate training to ensure that cases are handled effectively and that children receive protection.
Without these measures, legislation alone may not be enough to prevent families from arranging underage marriages or to ensure accountability when violations occur.
Balochistan government promises action
Shahid Rind, assistant to the chief minister of Balochistan on information and political affairs, said the authorities were taking steps to investigate the killing of the 15-year-old girl and ensure the arrest of the main suspect and any other individuals found to be involved.
“No one is above the law,” Rind said, adding that police and district authorities had been directed to accelerate efforts to arrest the main suspect.
Regarding the young girl’s marriage, Rind said authorities had also been directed to take effective measures to protect the three-year-old girl and ensure that she receives justice.
He said the Balochistan government was committed to implementing laws designed to protect children. The government’s position on children’s rights and safety was clear, he added, and violations of the province’s child marriage legislation would result in legal action.
The government’s response will be measured not only by arrests or public assurances but also by the effectiveness of measures to protect vulnerable children, prevent further violations and hold those responsible accountable.
Protecting girls’ right to childhood and choice
While government officials promise reforms, Rakhshanda continues to live with the consequences of a marriage arranged when she was just 15. Her education ended early, and she assumed responsibilities before she had the opportunity to make independent decisions about her future.
Her story illustrates why child marriage cannot be addressed through legislation alone. Families need economic support, girls need access to education, and communities need to recognise that children have the right to grow up without being forced into adult responsibilities.
The Balochistan Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025 offers a legal basis for protecting children from early marriage. Its promise will depend on how consistently it is enforced and whether families, communities and institutions work together to uphold children’s rights.
For girls like Rakhshanda, meaningful change means more than preventing future child marriages. It means creating a society in which every girl can learn, grow, make her own choices and shape her own future.
