The Islamabad administration has notified the foundations for Hindu Marriage Act 2017 after over 5 years of its passage, permitting the members of the minority neighborhood in Pakistan to solemnise their marriage in keeping with their very own rituals. With this, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan also can implement the wedding act handed in 2017 as an alternative of formulating new laws, Pakistan-based information platform Daybreak reported.
The report cited an official of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration as informing that the notification titled ‘Islamabad Capital Territory Hindu Marriage Guidelines 2023’ has been forwarded to all union councils of the federal territory for implementation.
As per the foundations, related Union councils (UC) in Islamabad will register a ‘Maharaj’ to solemnise marriages. The requirement for being a ‘Pundit’ or ‘Maharaj’ is that the particular person must be a Hindu male with enough data of the faith, Daybreak’s report talked about.
ALSO READ | ‘If India Doesn’t Allow Pakistan Players In IPL…’: Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan Fumes At BCCI
The ‘Maharaj’ shall be appointed after he’s given a personality certificates from the native police after which receives the written approval of at the least 10 members of the Hindu neighborhood, it said.
Just like the “registered nikah-khawan” for Muslims, the UCs will situation “Shaadi Pert” (marriage certificates) to ‘Maharaj’ who can be registered with them. All marriages can be registered at union councils.
As per the report, the foundations say {that a} ‘Maharaj’ appointed beneath the wedding act wouldn’t take any cash for officiating the wedding aside from the charges mandated by the federal government.
In case of Maharaj’s dying or cancellation of his licence, the wedding report saved by him can be submitted to the related UCs, which shall be subsequently handed over to his successor.
Part 7 of the foundations pertain to instances of termination of marriages and remarriages. Hindus dwelling in Islamabad have been allowed to method courts beneath the West Pakistan Household Courts Act 1964 in case of marriage disputes.
District Legal professional For ICT Hails Notification As ‘Main Step’
Mehfooz Piracha, the district legal professional for ICT who drafted the foundations, advised Daybreak that the notification “is a significant step” in the direction of making certain the rights of the Hindu neighborhood.
In response to him, Punjab, Balochistan, and KP also can undertake these guidelines as “Politically and technically, it’s straightforward for provinces to undertake the legal guidelines enacted in Islamabad somewhat than formulating new laws for every jurisdiction”.
The Daybreak reported that the “key effort” for the approval of Hindu marriage guidelines was made by a gaggle referred to as ‘Nationwide Lobbying Delegation for Minority Rights’ (NLD).
Jai Parkash, an NLD member, was reported saying that numerous Hindus have been completely settled in Islamabad, and it was “important” that the Islamabad administration implement this regulation retrospectively to profit the area people.