HYDERABAD: Representatives of the National Lobbying Delegation for Minority Rights have emphasised the need for framing rules for Hindu Marriage Act.
They said that the draft law prepared by 22 leaders of Pakistan’s top churches and approved by the federal cabinet, also needed to be adopted by the National Assembly.
They said that Hindu Marriage Act was adopted last year, but its rules were not framed. They said that as per act, the rules should have been framed within three months, but one year had passed and those were not framed. They said that both the legislations were of prime importance for minorities.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the local press club here on Thursday, Shahzada Francis, Rafiq Gill, M. Parkash, advocate Sumera, Pushpa Kumari, Jai Parkash Morani and Dr Ashothama said that 150 years old laws were on the statute that regulated family life of the Christian community in Pakistan and those laws included Christian Divorce Act 1869 and Christian Marriage Act 1872. They were enforced by the Britishers.
They said that both those laws did not meet requirements of the present day life and that was why Pakistan’s Christian community believed that new laws should be introduced that met requirements of modern day life. They said that such laws would safeguard rights of the Christian community particularly women.
They recalled that a committee comprising leaders of 22 top churches of the country had approved a draft law on the urging of former human rights minister Kamran Michael and that draft law was handed over to present government as the term of previous government was going to be over. They said that it was indeed a positive development that the federal cabinet had approved the draft law in its meeting and now it would be presented in the assembly.
They said that since legislation was the right of the provincial government in the wake of 18th amendment, the draft law had been given to the provincial government. They urged the print and electronic media to raise voice for the passage of those laws.
Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2019
