President signs Christian Marriage (Amend) Act into law

ISLAMABAD:President Asif Ali Zardari has endorsed the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024 into legislation during a special ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad, today. The Act mandates that the marriageable age for Christian men and women be raised to eighteen years.

Addressing the gathering, the President urged an increase in minority employment quotas across all government sectors, pledging to formally request the Government on this matter. He emphasized the equal status of minorities as citizens of Pakistan, entitled to the same rights and responsibilities as all others. He reassured minorities, urging them not to be discouraged by isolated incidents and asserting their rightful stake in the nation.

Under Article 75 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, President Zardari granted his approval to the Act, which modifies Section 60 of the Christian Marriage Act of 1872. Previously, the Act required Christian men and women to be older than sixteen and thirteen years, respectively, to marry.

The ceremony was attended by Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony (MORA), Mr Zulfiquar Haider, Secretary MORA, representatives of the Christian community, and senior government officials.

Bishop Abraham Daniel, speaking at the event, expressed long-standing gratitude to President Zardari for signing the Act into law during the special ceremony. He also acknowledged the President’s earlier initiatives during his tenure, such as reserving a 5% employment quota for minorities in government roles, allocating special Senate seats for minorities, and designating August 11th as Minorities’ Day in Pakistan.