Pakistan preacher Mufti Tariq Masood defends child marriage on social media
Synopsis
A detailed report has documented how Pakistani preacher Mufti Tariq Masood has used his massive social media following to repeatedly defend child marriage and challenge age-of-consent norms — while controversial clips allegedly disappear via copyright takedowns. The report coincides with the case of 14-year-old Hindu girl Bindiya Kumari, allegedly abducted in Balochistan and married in Sindh, raising urgent questions about Pakistan's protection of minority children.
Key Takeaways
Pakistani preacher Mufti Tariq Masood has repeatedly defended child marriage and challenged age-of-consent frameworks on social media, according to a Daily Mirror report.
In one video, Masood reportedly joked about arranging brides as young as two to four years old ; he dismissed the backlash as a misunderstanding.
Critics allege controversial clips are routinely removed via copyright complaints, impeding direct scrutiny of his remarks.
The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) raised alarm over the alleged abduction and forced marriage of 14-year-old Bindiya Kumari from Sibi, Balochistan .
Bindiya's case was raised in the Balochistan Assembly on 19 October and the Senate Minority Caucus on 29 October , with lawmakers demanding immediate action.
Pakistani religious preacher Mufti Tariq Masood, who commands a large following across Pakistan and beyond, has repeatedly used social media platforms to defend child marriage, challenge modern age-of-consent frameworks, and encourage audiences to view young girls through the prism of marital readiness, according to a detailed report by Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror.
What the Report Found
'Over the years, this immensely popular preacher has repeatedly used his platform to defend child marriage, challenge modern age-of-consent frameworks, and encourage audiences to view young girls through the prism of marital readiness. What is often presented as religious guidance increasingly resembles the normalisation of ideas that place children within the domain of adult sexuality,' the Daily Mirror report stated.
In one widely circulated video, Masood reportedly joked that if someone could not find a 16-year-old bride, he could arrange a bride as young as two or four years old. The remarks triggered widespread outrage, with critics accusing him of promoting child marriage and normalising the sexualisation of minors. Masood dismissed the backlash as a misunderstanding, and his supporters argued the comments were an ill-conceived joke taken out of context.
The Pattern Beyond the Joke
Critics and rights advocates argue the problem extends well beyond any single controversial clip. The Daily Mirror report contends that Masood's larger body of speeches — spanning years of defending underage marriages, opposing statutory age restrictions, promoting marriage shortly after puberty, and discussing the physical 'suitability' of nine- and ten-year-olds for marital ties — reveals what observers describe as a deeper ideological position rather than isolated moments of poor humour.
Compounding concerns, critics allege that controversial clips from his speeches frequently disappear from online platforms following copyright complaints and takedown requests, making direct scrutiny difficult. 'This creates a peculiar dynamic: critics are accused of misrepresenting his views, while attempts to reproduce the original material for scrutiny frequently risk removal. Consequently, the debate becomes less about what was actually said and more about competing narratives. Whenever criticism emerges, it is routinely dismissed as part of a secular, liberal, or Western agenda rather than engaged with on its merits,' the report noted.
The Case of Bindiya Kumari
The controversy around Masood's statements emerges against a broader backdrop of reported child marriage cases involving minority children in Pakistan. Earlier this month, the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) expressed serious concern over the alleged abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of 14-year-old Bindiya Kumari, a Class 9 student from Sibi in Balochistan.
According to VOPM, Bindiya was allegedly abducted from Sibi and taken to Sindh, where her conversion and marriage were reportedly facilitated through arrangements linked to a figure known as Mian Mithu (Mian Abdul Haq). The rights body stated: 'Authorities must establish the facts through a fair investigation. But fairness does not require silence, and an investigation should never become an excuse to leave a child without protection.'
Legislative Response
Bindiya's case was raised in the Balochistan Assembly on 19 October and subsequently taken up by the Senate Minority Caucus on 29 October. Lawmakers demanded her immediate recovery, questioned the police response, and called for greater coordination between the governments of Sindh and Balochistan. The VOPM said her case 'has exposed the gap between Pakistan's assurances of minority protection and the ground reality.'
What Happens Next
Both cases — Masood's social media content and Bindiya's alleged abduction — are drawing renewed attention to Pakistan's legal frameworks around child marriage and the enforcement gaps that rights groups say leave minority children especially vulnerable. How Pakistani authorities respond to legislative pressure and international scrutiny will be closely watched by human rights organisations in the coming weeks.
Point of View
Allowing the cycle of controversy and dismissal to repeat without resolution. Taken alongside the Bindiya Kumari case, the two stories together illuminate how legal gaps and institutional inertia combine to leave minority and underage children especially exposed. Pakistan's lawmakers have raised the right questions in assembly chambers; the harder test is whether the response moves beyond rhetoric into enforceable child protection.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Mufti Tariq Masood said about child marriage?
According to a Daily Mirror report, Mufti Tariq Masood has repeatedly used his social media platform to defend child marriage, challenge age-of-consent frameworks, and promote marriage shortly after puberty. In one video, he reportedly joked about arranging brides as young as two to four years old, remarks he later dismissed as a misunderstanding.
Why are critics concerned about Masood's content being removed online?
Critics allege that controversial clips from Masood's speeches frequently disappear from platforms following copyright complaints and takedown requests, making direct fact-checking difficult. This dynamic, the Daily Mirror report argues, shifts the debate away from what was actually said and toward competing narratives, with criticism routinely dismissed as a Western or secular agenda.
Who is Bindiya Kumari and what happened to her?
Bindiya Kumari is a 14-year-old Hindu girl and Class 9 student who was allegedly abducted from Sibi in Balochistan, Pakistan. According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), she was taken to Sindh where her forced religious conversion and marriage were reportedly facilitated through arrangements linked to Mian Abdul Haq, known as Mian Mithu.
How has the Pakistani legislature responded to the Bindiya Kumari case?
Bindiya's case was raised in the Balochistan Assembly on 19 October and by the Senate Minority Caucus on 29 October. Lawmakers demanded her immediate recovery, questioned the police response, and called for coordination between the Sindh and Balochistan governments.
Why do rights groups say minority children in Pakistan are especially at risk?
Rights organisations such as VOPM argue that Pakistan's minority children face compounded vulnerability due to enforcement gaps in child marriage laws, inadequate police response, and institutional failures at the provincial level. The Bindiya Kumari case, they say, exposes the gap between Pakistan's stated assurances of minority protection and ground-level reality.
