Daily Times

Karachi: Newly-elected MNAs and MPAs of Pakistan People’s Party have extended deep gratitude to party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for ensuring passage of the Sindh Hindu Marriage Bill from the previous Sindh Assembly, which got assent from the governor to become a law last week.

In a statement, Dr Mahesh Malani, who was elected a member of the National Assembly on a general seat for the first time in Pakistan’s history, MPAs-elect, including Hariram Kishorilal, Gianchand Essrani, Ramesh Lal, Surendar Valasai, Rana Hameer Singh, Mukesh Kumar Chawla and Lalchand Ukrani said that passage of the Sindh Hindu Marriage Bill would have been impossible without express directives of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the outgoing Sindh Assembly adopted an amendment on its last day in May, 2018.

The PPP members also appreciated the former minority affairs minister Dr Khatumal Jeewan and ex-MPA Poonjomal Bheel, the then chairman of the Standing Committee on Minority Affairs, for their contribution to the legislation as well as well the continuous support of former parliamentary leader of PPP Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and leaders of other parliamentary groups for unanimous adoption of the bill.

The bill was tabled by former MPA Nand Kumar with the consent of all Minority MPAs and full support of PPP’s parliamentary party, which developed consensus in both sides of the benches. However, due to protest by religious parties the bill was not passed from the assembly.

The previous Sindh Assembly on the last day of its tenure made amendments to the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act 2016, awarding the right of separation to both husband and wife in addition to ensuring financial security of wife and children and approved the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act, 2016 (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

The bill says: “Either party to Hindu marriage, whether solemnised before or after commencement of this act, may present a petition to the court praying for decree of judicial separation.”

It may be recalled that there was no law governing Hindu marriages in the country since seven decades.

Before, the Pakistani courts were referring to pre-partition Marriage Disabilities Removal Act, 1946 while deciding on disputes between Hindu couples, but that too was covering rights of married Hindu women only.

Also the bill allows Hindu women to file a separation in an unpleasant marriage on basis of mutual consent and it bounds husband to provide necessities for the children even in case of separation, besides allowing divorced woman or widows to tie the knot again.

Published in Daily Times, August 10^th 2018.