By: ChandrashekarBhat
Marriage is an individual choice, but a lawmaker in Pakistan’s Sindh province has proposed legislation making it mandatory for parents to get their children married when they turn 18.
A private bill submitted by legislator Syed Abdul Rasheed of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance also proposes a fine of Pakistani Rs 500 (£2.20) on parents who fail to meet the obligation of getting their children married when they attain the legal age of majority, according to media reports on Thursday (27).
According to the bill, called the Sindh Compulsory Marriage Act, 2021, parents should compulsorily submit an affidavit to the government if they fail to marry off their children when they turn 18 and explain the reason for their inability to do so. If they fail to submit affidavits, they should be fined.
Rasheed, who submitted the bill in the Sindh assembly secretariat, claimed his proposal is in line with the teachings of Islam and it would help curb what he described as “immoral activities”.
In a video message, Rasheed, who is elected to the Sindh assembly from a Karachi constituency, also called for a new legislation to check extravagant expenditures of marriages. He said the government should come forward to ease the burden on parents.
