I Will Defy the Law and Arrange Marriages of Minors, Says JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman

Islamabad: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday strongly criticized legislation setting the minimum age for marriage at 18, declaring it un-Islamic and openly challenging the government to stop him from violating the law.

Addressing a joint session of parliament, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said he rejected the legislation and announced that he would defy it by arranging marriages of underage individuals. “I challenge your law and dare you to see how you will confront me,” he said, adding that he would personally attend such marriages.

آپ نے جس طرح کی آئینی ترامیم کی ہیں میں اعلان کرتا ہوں کہ میں سرعام ان کی خلاف ورزی کروں گا اور 15 سال، 16 سال اور 10 سال کے جوانوں کی شادیاں کرواؤں گا اور ان میں خود بیٹھوں گا۔ میں آپ کے قانون کو چیلنج کرتا ہوں کہ آپ میرا مقابلہ کیسے کرتے ہیں، مولانا فضل الرحمان pic.twitter.com/Eza47iwX5V

— Zubair Ali Khan (@ZubairAlikhanUN) January 23, 2026

He said the legislation should have been referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology and accused the government of imposing laws under pressure from international institutions. “If laws are made on the dictates of the United Nations or the IMF, then either remove the word ‘Islamic’ from the Constitution or stop enforcing such legislation,” he remarked.

The JUI-F chief said he was formally recording his protest in parliament and warned that such laws would not be allowed to operate in the country. He criticized what he termed the government’s “mindset” behind the legislation and rejected what he described as compromise-based politics.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman also strongly criticized Pakistan’s participation in international peace initiatives, alleging they were influenced by US pressure. He accused former US president Donald Trump of strengthening Israel’s aggression and threatening Hamas, while questioning the government’s foreign policy decisions.

Referring to conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, he said the Muslim world had suffered immense destruction and warned that Israel’s actions posed a threat to regional stability. He questioned why Pakistanis are barred from traveling to Israel if engagement with Israel is justified on the basis of its membership in the United Nations.

He further criticized the government for not taking parliament and the cabinet into confidence on major decisions, saying such actions amounted to surrendering national sovereignty. “If I could stand against General Pervez Musharraf, I can stand against you as well,” he said.

مجلس شوریٰ (پارلیمنٹ)کے مشترکہ اجلاس میں قائد جمعیت مولانا فضل الرحمٰن مدظلہ کا اظہار خیال pic.twitter.com/VVBJT6YCuR

— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) January 23, 2026

Later, while talking to journalists at Parliament House, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the Muslim world was facilitating Israel under pressure, adding that calls for peace were being used to advance external agendas. He said disarming Hamas would amount to crushing Palestinian resistance and depriving Palestinians of their right to freedom.

He urged parliament to reject the proposed peace framework under the prevailing conditions and reiterated that his party would resist what he termed policies of subservience and external domination.

مداح سرا خواجہ سراء بلا کر یہ سمجھتے ہیں کہ مذہبی طبقہ ان کیساتھ ہے ۔ کبھی ہمیں بلاکر اپنا ایجنڈا پیش کریں پھر ہم آپ کو بتائیں گے۔ ہم ملک کے خیر خواہ ہیں اسی وجہ سے سب کچھ کررہے ہیں ۔ مولانا فضل الرحمان pic.twitter.com/j44GP3yPhW

— Rizwan Ghilzai (Remembering Arshad Sharif) (@rizwanghilzai) January 23, 2026