Lahore (Pakistan News): An amendment bill has been submitted in the Punjab Assembly to revise the 153-year-old Christian Marriage Act.
According to details, the amendment bill has been presented by Chairman Standing Committee on Minority Affairs Philip Christopher, which includes important proposed changes to Christian marriage laws.
Under the proposed bill, it is suggested that both the bride and groom must be Christian for marriage, whereas under the current law, it is sufficient for only one party to be Christian.
The bill also proposes setting the minimum marriage age at 18 years for both males and females. Currently, the existing law allows marriage at 16 years for boys and 13 years for girls.
Legal experts and Christian religious leaders have stated that increasing the age alone is not sufficient, and comprehensive reforms are also needed in matters such as divorce, dissolution of marriage, inheritance, and child custody.
Christian leaders have said that meaningful consultation with relevant churches and the community should have been conducted before such legislation, which has not yet taken place.
According to the Institute for Social Justice, reforms in old Christian laws have been under discussion for a long time, but modern identification systems and transparent procedures must also be included in the legislative process to avoid future legal complications.
