Rules for Hindu Marriage Act notified in Pakistan

New Delhi: Five years after Pakistan enforced a law to regulate marriages of Hindus, Islamabad administration now has notified the rules for the Hindu Marriage Act 2017, allowing the members of the minority community to solemnise their marriage in line with established rituals.

The law provides for procedures relating to restitution of conjugal rights, judicial separation, void and voidable marriages, termination of Hindu marriage, financial security of the wife and children, alternate relief in termination of marriage by mutual consent.

It also provides the right to a separated person to marry again, entitlement of re-marriage for Hindu widow at her own will and consent after stipulated time, legitimacy of child orn out of void and voidable Hindu marriage.

The notification title ‘Islamabad Capital Territory Hindu Marriage Rules 2023’ paves the way for the implementation of the Marriage Act in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan besides Islamabad, Pakistani daily Dawn reported today.

The notification has been forwarded to all Union Councils (UCs) of the federal territory for implementation.

In Islamabad the relevant UCS will register a ‘Maharaj” to solemnize marriages. The requirement for being a ‘Pundit’ or ‘Maharaj’ is that the person has to be a Hindus male with adequate knowledge of Hinduism.

Maharaj will be appointed after the submission of a character certificate from the local police as well as with the written approval of at least 10 members of Hindu community.

Similar to the case of the registered ‘nikah-khawan’ for Muslims, respective UCs will issue ‘Shaadi Patra’ to Maharaj which would be registered with the UC.

Pakistan’s parliament on March 9, 2017 passed a bill to regulate marriages of Hindus in the country. It became law after the President Mamnoon Hussain gave his approval a few days later.

The act empowers the Hindu woman and also helps the Hindu husband and wife to have a record of the documents for the purposed of validation of the marriage in the eyes of law. It states about the judicial proceedings for divorce and for the grounds of the divorce on which one can seek divorce.

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