Sir: The practice of cousin marriages has been banned globally because of its impact on the health of babies, but in Pakistan, an independent state, orthodox beliefs and fake traditions still exist. Cousin marriage is common in Pakistan. Due to a low divorce rate, such marriages are a reason for depression and anxiety among women because they are bound to stay with their husbands just to save the reputation of their families. According to research conducted by the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Human Genetics and Biotechnology Department Head Professor Dr Muhammad Aslam Khan, apart from a 50 percent higher risk of acquiring genetic disorders, mental, physical and sexual defects are also common results of cousin marriages. Cousin marriage is more common in the rural areas because of the high illiteracy rate and backwardness. Therefore, educating people about the hazards of cousin marriages is important and it should be done at all levels since talking about the imposition of a ban on cousin marriages is not sufficient to control prevailing genetic disorders among the masses. The government should provide better genetic screening services to the masses in the country because we need a healthy and independent generation to develop our nation.
HAJRA NAWAZ SHAH
Lahore