KARACHI: Provincial Assembly on Friday passed Sindh Hindu Marriage Amendment Bill 2018 giving Hindu women the right to second marriage.
Under the bill divorced or widowed women from minorities in Sindh can remarry after a period of six months.
The Bill gives the right to women from the minority communities to file for separation if in a strained relationship. Clauses of the Bill allow men and women to mutually decide over the matter of separation.
Sindh Hindu Marriage Amendment Bill safeguards the rights of the children that suffer out of broken marriages, one of the clauses states that even after separation the man has to provide for the children.
Earlier, women of minorities, divorced or widowed were not allowed to remarry legally.
However, the amendment prohibits the practice of bigamy, stating that one cannot marry another without seeking separation/ divorce from the first spouse.
Clause 18 of the Bill states that any marriage made official after this act will be considered void if at the time either party had the first spouse living with them.
The amendment bill also states that if a spouse marries off without the knowledge of his/her spouse or by lying, would be sentenced to a six-month jail term or a fine of Rs 5000 or both.
Furthermore, the Bill barrs early marriages, setting the minimum age of 18 years for a bride and groom to be eligible for marriage.
Earlier, in 2016 the historic Hindu marriage bill was passed allowing Hindu marriages to be registered, validity in Sindh. The bill had specified procedures and conditions for marriages of the minority groups under legal cover.
Previously with the absence of proper laws, numerous cases were reported pertaining to issues of Hindu marriages in Sindh. Jirgas and Panchayats used to decide over the matter in the absence of courts.