Sindh govt notified Hindu marriage law amendment

KARACHI: The Sindh government advised Sindh Hindu Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2018 on Thursday, moved by Nand Kumar of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional was passed by the assembly in March this year, in order to give right to the couples for ‘separation’ and granting permission to Hindu widows for remarrying.

This bill does not only expresses the right of separation for both the husband and wife, but it also assures the financial safety measures of the wife and children. Furthermore, underage marriages are also banned in Hindu community under the law.

The law declares, “Either party to Hindu marriage, whether solemnized before or after the commencement of this Act, may present a petition to the court praying for decree of judicial separation.,”

According to Nand Kumar, “The Hindu community had been protesting forced conversions and marriages of underage girls. This law has banned the marriage of minors from the Hindu community.”

He also added that he has also presented a bill against the forced conversions of members of religious minorities, but there is still more to gather in such regards, as that bill is not considered important for the time being in the Sindh Assembly secretariat.

He referred to the precedent norms, where Hindu women were considered lesser corporeal, and were not granted the right to divorce before the passing of this law.

Kumar said, “The amendment to this law is aimed at getting rid of old and outdated customs, to protect women and children and to help them to survive according to their will.”

Bilawal Bhutto, Pakistan People’s Party chairperson and various party leaders also supported the previous provincial assembly’s lawmakers on the key point of this act, which was sanctioned by the Governor last week.

It is observed that, before the passing of this law, there was no officially authorized swathe for Hindu marriages for the past seven decades.