Under a landmark amendment made by the provincial assembly of Sindh in Pakistan, divorced or widowed Hindu women will be allowed to remarry, reported the Express Tribune.
The Sindh Hindu Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2018, moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional leader Nand Kumar was passed by the assembly in March, earlier this year, to give couples the right of ‘separation’ and allowing Hindu widows to remarry.
The bill not only accords the right of separation to both the husband and wife, but also ensures the financial security of the wife and children.
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“Either party to Hindu marriage, whether solemnised before or after the commencement of this Act, may present a petition to the court praying for decree of judicial separation,” the law states.
The law also places a general ban of underage marriages among members of the Hindu community. “The Hindu community had been protesting forced conversions and marriages of underage girls. This law has banned the marriage of minors from the Hindu community,” said Nand Kumar, adding that he had also moved a bill against the forced conversions of members of religious minorities, but the bill was gathering dust in the Sindh Assembly secretariat.
