Pakistan’s Punjab becomes first province in world to implement Sikh Marriage Act

LAHORE – The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday approved the ‘Punjab Anand Karaj Marriage Registrar Rules 2024’ to regularize the the marriages of couples belong to the Sikh community.

The approval was granted in a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, chief secretary, IG Punjab and other officials. 

Punjab has become the first province in the world to implement the Sikh Marriage Act. 

The development comes over six years after the Punjab Assembly adopted a bill with the majority vote, for the first time, to regularise the Sikh marriages in 2018.

Provincial Minister for Minorities Ramesh Singh Arora appreciated the bill, stating that Punjab has become the first province in the world to implement the Sikh Marriage Act. 

The cabinet meeting was brief that Sikh community had to register their marriages in India under the Hindu Marriage Act. 

Furthermore, the Punjab government is also planning to introduce the Hindu Marriage Act. 

The Sikh Marriage Act enables the community to get their marriages registered with the government. Previously, the records of Sikh marriages were maintained in Gurdwara.