The personal laws for religious minorities are of significant importance:CCJP

Lahore: The Catholic/National Commission for Justice and Peace, CCJP is an organization of Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference working since 1985 for the rights of the religious minorities in Pakistan. The mandate of the commission is to protect religious marginalized community from discrimination, ensure unbiased education and freedom of religion or belief. In this regards, the Commission strongly believes that the personal laws for religious minorities are of significant importance. It is a means to ensure the civil rights of religious communities living in Pakistan while maintaining their separate identities within the wider socio-political fabric of society.

The commission conducted consultations and discussions with various legal experts, scholars, religious elders, community representatives and other stakeholders to draft and propose elementary principles of personal/family laws for the religious minorities, i.e., Age at the time of marriage,  Marriage registration, Dower, Dissolution of marriage, Divorce, Maintenance, Succession /Inheritance, Will, Adoption, Child custody and Illegitimacy.

The commission today held a press briefing to launch their recent research based on “Proposed Principles of Family/Personal Laws for the Religious Minorities in Pakistan” that includes analysis of Situation of Minorities in the absence of Personal Laws. Cecil S. Chaudhry Executive Director CCJP, Ms. Arifa Shakeel Program Coordinator CCJP, Sarah Qureshi Program Manager Faiz Foundation Trust, Amarnath Randhawa President Hindu Sudhar Sabha Pakistan and Aroon Kumar Secretary General Hindu Sudhar Sabha were the panelist talking about the importance of personal laws of religious minorities

Ms. Arifa Shakeel, Program Coordinator said that this research study investigates the personal laws of various minority communities of Pakistan. It also highlights the conflicts and injustices that arise due to the absence of such laws. This research aims to question the provisions regarding personal matters in existing norms and practices in accordance with human rights.

Cecil S. Chaudhry Executive Director of CCJP considering the current human rights situation of religious minorities like (Hindus, Sikh, Christians, and Kalashas) in Pakistan, we can see how the absence of personal laws have led to increase in stereotypes, lack of understanding, religious fundamentalism, intolerance towards traditions & customs of non-Muslim communities.

He also elaborated that the research presented today by Catholic/ National Commission for Justice and Peace, indicates the proposed principles for personal/family laws of religious minorities, both a draft of new laws and proposing necessary amendments to the existing laws. The Christian Marriage Act, 1872, the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 and the Hindu Marriage Bill, 2014 need amendments whereas the state needs to take serious steps to draft laws for Kalasha community. The above mentioned existing laws have not been amended since its inception. Therefore, they are not entirely applicable to the needs of modern times.

He also added that, the commission is of the opinion that this research can be used by the state to ensure the drafting and amendments of the personal laws for religious minority communities.

The panelist appreciated the initiatives of the state in form of Federal Hindu Marriage Act 2015 and National Action Plan and multiple judgments of Supreme Court for the protection and promotion of religious minorities. With this appreciation, they also demanded that the legislation related to personal laws/ civil aspect of non-Muslims i.e., Christian, Sikh, Kalasha and Hindu, should be taken under consideration both at federal and provincial level.