PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to preventing child marriage by strengthening local government systems and making enforcement a routine part of governance across the province.
Provincial Resolve to End Child Marriage
The resolve was reiterated at a provincial showcasing event titled “Transforming Systems, Protecting Futures: Institutional Strengthening to End Child Marriage,” jointly organized by the Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Department (LGE&RDD) in collaboration with Group Development Pakistan (GDP), UNFPA and FCDO. Representatives of government departments, civil society organizations and frontline service providers attended the event.
Moving Beyond Short-Term Projects
Speakers said the provincial government was moving away from short-term project-based interventions towards system-wide reforms to ensure sustainable prevention of child marriage. Progress under multi-year institutional reforms implemented through the Awaaz II Programme was shared during the event.
Training Frontline Officials on Child Marriage Laws
Since 2024, more than 900 frontline and supervisory officials have been trained across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Nikah registrars, village and neighbourhood council secretaries and oversight staff. The training focused on child marriage laws, child protection, gender equality and family laws. An internal pool of master trainers has also been developed to ensure continuity of capacity building within the government system.
Strengthening Nikah Registration and Accountability
Director Operations LGE&RDD Sardar-ul-Haq Malik said the department was shifting from individual compliance to system-based accountability by formalizing certification of Nikah registrars, strengthening monitoring and inspection mechanisms, and integrating child marriage prevention into routine administrative oversight. He added that efforts were underway to ensure uniform implementation of marriage registration laws across all communities, including minority communities.
Standardized certification and license renewal criteria for Nikah registrars have been introduced, while enhanced monitoring systems are being piloted in Haripur and Nowshera to improve age verification and documentation.
Evidence-Based Reforms and Digital Registration
Former Director Operations Local Government Syed Rehman emphasized evidence-based reforms and greater investment in frontline officials. He said proposals were under review to make age details mandatory on Nikahnama forms, while a NADRA-linked mobile application for digital Nikah registration was being piloted to reduce human error and interference.
Child Protection Commission’s Perspective
Deputy Chief of the KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission Ejaz Ahmad Khan said child marriage was a serious child protection concern and stressed the need for stronger coordination between local government institutions and child protection systems. He said more than 200 cases had been successfully addressed, though underreporting remained a challenge due to social acceptance of the practice.
Women’s Commission Calls for CMRA Bill
Chairperson KP Commission on the Status of Women Dr Sumera Shams called for consistent enforcement of marriage registration laws and a multi-sectoral approach, noting that child marriage affected education, health, protection and economic outcomes. She urged the provincial government to approve and notify the CMRA Bill.
Executive Director GDP Samin Sheikh said integrating training, monitoring and accountability into the local government system was key to making child marriage prevention a permanent function of governance.
UNFPA’s Provincial Programme Coordinator Mahjabeen Qazi stressed that sustainable impact could only be achieved by embedding capacity building and oversight mechanisms within government systems.
At the conclusion of the event, participants agreed to further strengthen coordination, accountability and continuous capacity building to ensure lasting protection of girls’ rights and the elimination of child marriage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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