Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Urges Urgent Reform of Christian Personal Laws in Pakistan
Adnan Athar
Islamabad:
The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), Islamabad, in partnership with the NLD forum, convened a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Reforming Christian Personal Laws on International Human Rights Day.
Chairperson Ume-Laila Azhar emphasized the critical need to transition from colonial-era legal provisions to modern, human rights–aligned frameworks. She stressed the importance of ensuring equality, raising the marriage age to 18, and enabling fair and accessible divorce grounds, all consistent with CEDAW and contemporary societal needs.
Key Commitments from Institutional Leaders
The dialogue featured strong cross-institutional support for the reforms from government and parliamentary representatives:
* Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law & Justice: Committed to replacing outdated legislation with rights-based laws and supporting approval efforts in the coming year.
* Ms. Shahida Rehmani (Secretary Women's Parliamentary Caucus): Emphasized the need for women-friendly legislation and assured support from the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming.
* Mr. Jam Muhammad Aslam (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice): Expressed readiness to take the initiative on the pending Christian Marriage and Divorce Bill and incorporate necessary inputs to make the bill more inclusive.
* Ms. Saba Sadiq (Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights): Highlighted the urgency of passing the Christian Marriage & Divorce laws and enhancing judicial sensitization.
Focus on Child Marriage and Community Consensus
Several speakers specifically addressed the need to align these laws with child protection standards:
* Mr. Pirbhu Lal Satyani (Member National Commission on the Rights of Child): Asserted the significance of reforming the Christian Marriage & Divorce laws to effectively combat child marriages.
* Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly Anthony Naveed: Called for amending colonial laws and strengthening legal recognition for churches.
* MNA James Iqbal: Stressed the importance of building community consensus and demonstrating legislative leadership to drive the reforms forward.
* Dr. Ayra Inderyas (NCSW Member Punjab): Noted that she had presented draft Christian marriage and divorce bills to the Punjab Human Rights & Minority Affairs Department the previous week.
The NCSW remains committed to eliminating discriminatory legal trends and strengthening rights-based pathways for women across minority communities.
Landmark Step: Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Pledges Support for Urgent Christian Personal Law Reforms
The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), in partnership with the NLD forum, convened a crucial Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on International Human Rights Day to push for the reform of Christian Personal Laws in Pakistan. The collective push aims to replace over 150-year-old colonial-era legislation with modern, rights-based frameworks.
Need for Modern, Rights-Aligned Laws
NCSW Chairperson Ume-Laila Azhar spearheaded the call for change, emphasizing the need to:
* Ensure equality and gender justice.
* Raise the minimum marriage age to 18 for both genders, aligning with CEDAW and child protection principles.
* Establish fair and accessible divorce grounds that reflect contemporary societal needs, moving beyond the current, highly restrictive legal provisions.
Unified Cross-Institutional Support
The dialogue demonstrated a significant convergence of support from across government and parliamentary bodies:
| Speaker | Institution | Key Commitment |
| Barrister Aqeel Malik | Minister of State for Law & Justice | Committed to replacing outdated laws and supporting the bill's approval in the coming year. |
| Ms. Shahida Rehmani | Secretary, Women's Parliamentary Caucus | Emphasized women-friendly legislation and assured support from the Gender Mainstreaming Committee. |
| Mr. Jam Muhammad Aslam | Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice | Expressed readiness to initiate the pending Christian Marriage and Divorce Bill and make it more inclusive. |
| Ms. Saba Sadiq | Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights | Highlighted the urgency of passing the legislation and enhancing judicial sensitization. |
| Mr. Pirbhu Lal Satyani | Member, National Commission on the Rights of Child | Asserted the necessity of reforms to effectively combat child marriages. |
| MNA James Iqbal | Member of National Assembly | Stressed building community consensus and legislative leadership for the reforms. |
| Dr. Ayra Inderyas | NCSW Member Punjab | Confirmed presenting draft Christian marriage and divorce bills to the Punjab Human Rights & Minority Affairs Department. |
Context of the Reforms
The proposed reforms aim to update the severely outdated Christian Marriage Act, 1872 and the Divorce Act, 1869. Recent developments, including the Presidential assent to an amendment that raised the minimum marriage age to 18 in the Islamabad Capital Territory (Source 1.8, 1.9), were noted as positive steps. However, activists emphasize the need for a complete overhaul of the laws, particularly the Divorce Act, which currently often requires one spouse to prove adultery to obtain a divorce, a difficult and damaging process that has been the subject of ongoing legal challenges (Source 1.1, 1.6).
NCSW reaffirmed its commitment to advancing a formal declaration on Christian Personal Laws and strengthening rights-based pathways for women across minority communities.
