Lahore,
A provincial Assembly in Pakistan today created history by unanimously passing a Bill that will provide legal status to Sikh marriages in the Muslim-majority country.

The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the Punjab Sikhs Anand Karaj Marriages Act 2017. This is the first time that family matters of the community, such as marriage, will be separately regulated.

The Bill was tabled by minority member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora. The passage of the Bill has repealed the Anand Marriage Act 1909, passed during the British rule.

The Bill will come into force immediately after approval by the Governor. Once approved, every Sikh marriage that took place before the Bill came into force would also gain legal status.

MPA Arora said Pakistan would be the only country in the world to register Sikh marriages after the enactment of this Bill. Previously, the record of Sikh marriages was maintained in gurdwaras.

“The passage of the Bill is a result of ‘Punjabi-Sikh’ friendship,” Arora claimed.