Sindh becomes first Pakistan province to adopt Hindu Marriage Bill

Sindh became the first Pakistan province to adopt landmark Hindu Marriage Bill, 2015 in order to allow the minority community to register their marriages.
This is for the first such a law is being passed since formation of Pakistan in 1947 to safeguard rights of Hindus, a second largest religious minority community in the country.
Key provisions of Law

• The law fixes the minimum age of marriage at 18.
• It makes mandatory, that a marriage is solemnised after consent of both female and male in the presence of at least two witnesses and registration of the marriage.
• Under this law, every marriage will be registered with the ward/ union council within 45 days of the solemnisation.
• The law will have retrospective effect for the purpose of validation and registration of the marriage prior to its enactment.
• Any person failing to get his marriage registered after solemnisation will be liable to pay a fine of Rs. 1,000 (Pakistani).

Background
Minority Hindus with an estimated population of 3.3 million in Pakistan for long time had demanded a separate personal law to regulate their marriages. Due to absence of a Hindu Marriage law, the minority community (especially women) faced a huge hindrance to obtain national identity cards, marriage certificates and share in property.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2016