PESHAWAR: A special screening ceremony for a short film, “Bol Utho”, focusing on nikahnama (marriage contract) reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was organised at the Peshawar Press Club here on Saturday.

Shirkat Gah, a civil society organisation, organised the event.

Former provincial ombudsperson on harassment against women Rukhshanda Naz, senior lawyer Nasir Ghilzai, a member of the “Bol Utho” campaign, Dr Riffat Aziz spoke on the occasion.

Members of the legal fraternity, civil society representatives and students attended the programme in large numbers.

Zeenat Bibi, a journalist and maker of the short film, said that the film focused on key issues surrounding unregistered and unqualified nikah registrars, along with broader challenges tied to the marriage process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She said that it was aimed at introducing necessary reforms in the marriage registration process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also to urge the provincial government to implement a standardised nikahnama format across the province.

She further emphasised the film’s core message: women must be given the right to read and fill out the nikahnama themselves prior to the marriage ceremony.

On the occasion, Rukhshanda Naz pointed out that the province still lacked a uniform nikahnama, and that women were often not allowed to read or fill in the marriage contract during the Nikah process — something that needs urgent reform.

She pointed out that there were certain provisions in the existing nikahnama, which had out rightly been crossed, especially the one related to assuming the right of divorce by the bride. She added that nikahnama was a basic document over which a marriage was based and reforming the same was the need of the hour.

Nasir Ghilzai Advocate shared that a petition was filed by him in the Peshawar High Court under the “Bol Utho” campaign. He said that the petition demands amendments to the nikahnama to include mandatory thalassaemia and HIV testing, and measures to ensure the protection of women’s rights within the contract.

He stated that last month the high court had allowed two months’ time to the provincial government for the introduction and implementation of an updated nikahnama and enforcement of the law on premarital screening for thalassaemia and hepatitis C.

Ghilzai noted that columns 13, 14, and 15 of the nikahnama were of crucial importance, but unfortunately, many nikah registrars were not properly trained to fill them out, resulting in court cases. He further emphasised the need for the training of nikah registrars and the enforcement of premarital health screenings.

He concluded by saying that a comprehensive, new nikahnama format was in the pipeline and would soon be presented for implementation.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025