ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Monday unanimously passed `The Hindu Marriage bill 2016′, enabling Hindu marriages be registered and separation cases be resolved in the courts.
The meeting was presided over by Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Senator Nasreen Jalil in Parliament House in Islamabad wherein Senator Sitara Ayaz, Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari, Mufti Abdul Sattar, Nisar Muhammad, Aitzaz Ahsan, Farhatullah Baber, Dr. Ashok Kumar, Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani and Dr. Darshan were also present as attendees of the meeting.
“There is no contradiction regarding the bill, this is right of minorities to live according to their religion. Shariat law is totally different from Hindu law and Islam give freedom to non-muslins,” Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Senator Aizaz Ahsan said.
“There was no Hindu marriage law in the country for 66 years – the country’s leadership and all the political parties have done a commendable job,” Dr Vankwani said.
‘The Hindu Marriage bill 2016′ also allowed separated Hindu persons to remarry.
Clause 17 of the bill states that a Hindu widow “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”.
Meanwhile, the Committee Chairman Nasreen Jalil expressed displeasure over not arresting all culprits of Ahmadi’s worship place attack incident in Chakwal’s Dulmial village.
The Inspector General Police Punjab gave the details of the underway investigation and told that the Canadian national Abdul Rasheed was also involved in that incident and they were trying to arrest him. He said that some of the culprits had been arrested.
The Committee also passed amendment bill regarding the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).
