Punjab made history on Wednesday as the provincial assembly passed a law exclusively regulating the marriages of the Sikh community in the province.
The Punjab Sikhs Anand Karaj Marriages Act 2018 was approved in the Punjab Assembly today.
“Pakistan has become the first country to pass a law regulating marriages of the Sikh community,” a member of the Punjab Assembly said after the law was passed.
The act states that no male or female of the Sikh community below the age of 18 years can solemnise marriages under the law.
It also upholds that all marriages between Sikh persons, whether solemnised before or after this law is passed, shall be registered with the relevant union council.
A duly completed and signed Sikh marriage form shall be submitted to the marriage registrar, which will be appointed, and notified to the union council within 30 days of the date of marriage.
Each union council shall grant a licence to one or more persons for the purposes of entering and registering Sikh marriages in the marriage registry.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said it is unfortunate that Sikhs had not been given a separate identity in terms of their family laws, even in India.
“In India, marriages of the Sikh community are registered under the Hindu Marriage Act,” the MPA said.
