Positive omen for Hindu Community in Pakistan

In what appeared to be a sigh of relief for the minorities, the Supreme Court directed the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to take the necessary steps to enable married women of the Hindu community to acquire computerized national identity-cards without any holdup.

After reports surfaced in the media regarding problems faced by Hindu women while obtaining a passport, the apex court had taken a suo motu notice of the matter.

Hindu women face problems while applying for a CNIC or passports due to lack of proper marriage registration mechanism. On basis of same reason, they are excluded from acquiring their share of their husbands’ property.

Some community members claimed that it is quite easy for married Hindu women to be abducted and forcefully converted in the absence of legal proofs of their marriages.

Although the verdict of the apex court is welcoming gesture for the community, it is sad reflection on part of the executive when superior judiciary has to step in and ensure suppressed sections of the society are given their due rights.

A person without a CNIC is practically without an identity. All important works and task including from opening a bank account to applying for a job, studying and travelling abroad requires the national identity card number.

The state is declining of Hindu women of their fundamental rights and homeless children whose parentage is unknown by refusing marginalized sections of the population.

A draft Hindu marriage bill regulating marriage and divorce for Pakistan’s Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh communities has been drawn up. Hopefully, it will be taken up in the upcoming session of the National Assembly (NA).

We anticipate it is passed into law soon so that minorities and others will not face legal black holes where issues such as forced conversions and procurement of identity documents are concerned. The state must be more active in this regard.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=20226

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 25 2012. Filed under Opinion, Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.