ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly (NA) Thursday approved the Hindu Marriage Bill, 2016 unanimously aimed at easing growing insecurity among Hindu community of the country.
Minister for Human Rights Kamran Michael presented the bill in the lower house, while it was earlier passed by the Senate with some amendments.
The bill will enable the Hindu community to get their marriages registered and separation cases could be resolved in the courts.
The bill will pave the way for the adoption of a comprehensive and widely-acceptable family law for Hindus living in the country. The bill also allows separated Hindu persons to remarry.
Clause 17 of the bill states that Hindu widows “shall have the right to re-marry of her own will and consent after the death of her husband provided a period of six months has lapsed after the husband’s death”.
There are penalties for violating the provisions of the bill, which also enables Hindus to finally have a proof of marriage document called the shadiparat, similar to the nikahnama for Muslims.
