Pakistan proposes bizarre bill on compulsory marriage
Bishop Shukardin says the proposed Sindh law would increase the financial woes of parents
Pakistan has the sixth-highest number of women married or in a union before the age of 18. (Photo: AFP)
A Catholic bishop has joined human rights activists in rejecting a controversial bill that seeks to make marriage compulsory for people aged 18 in Pakistan.
The Sharia-based Sindh Compulsory Marriage Act, 2021, states that the parents of an adult who is not being married off after turning 18 will have to submit an undertaking with a justified reason for the delay before the deputy commissioner of their district. They could also face a fine of 500 rupees (US$3.22) for each of their unmarried children.
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(Photo: iStock)
A busy swarm of family and close friends buzz around the kitchen and dining room, preparing meals and making sure all recently gifted food is being stored correctly. Slightly uncomfortable, all I can think to myself is, ‘what are all these people doing in our house?’ I was in middle school when my baji (grandfather) died. My mother had left the country for his funeral and many of our relatives came to pay their respects in the days following. They all had food in hand.