First Kalash Marriage Bill approved by the legal department
In a significant advancement for cultural heritage preservation, Pakistan’s inaugural indigenous Kalash Marriage Bill has successfully undergone review by the Law Department and will soon be submitted to the cabinet prior to being introduced in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Legislative Assembly.
This landmark legislation seeks to safeguard and institutionalise the distinctive marital practices of the Kalash community, ensuring legal recognition of their traditions while advancing cultural rights.
The disclosure was made by Qamar Naseem, Programme Manager of the Blue Veins organisation, during the annual consultative workshop for the CSO Support group on Monday.
The CSO Support group has been established by Blue Veins as part of its initiative ‘Faith in Action for Equal Rights and Opportunities,’ which encompasses three components: the Kalash Marriage Bill, the enforcement of a two percent admission quota for minorities in public sector universities, and the enhancement of the implementation of the Code of Conduct to combat hate speech and detrimental content.
Qamar informed the participants that the Kalash Marriage Bill had been meticulously draughted due to the absence of a documented account of the community’s religious customs. The bill sought to safeguard and maintain these customs, ensuring their integrity post-legislation enactment.
“Upon enactment, it will signify a pivotal achievement in Pakistan’s endeavours to protect minority communities and their traditional practices,” he stated.
The draft legislation has received approval from the Law Department and will now be submitted for review at the cabinet meeting, he added. Regarding the admission quota, the meeting noted that of the 34 public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, approximately 27 have demonstrated compliance by appropriately displaying announcements about the minority quota on their websites.
