Waqas Baqar
A significant development has emerged in the proposed reforms to Christian family laws after 154 years, with religious leaders representing various Christian denominations expressing broad support for the Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill 2026, introduced in the Sindh Assembly.
The proposed legislation aims to safeguard the legal rights, protection and dignity of Christian families. However, the church leaders have stressed the need to protect the religious traditions, beliefs and ecclesiastical autonomy of all Christian denominations, ensure meaningful consultation, and conduct a comprehensive review of the legal aspects of the proposed legislation.
Addressing a news conference in Karachi, priests and church leaders representing various Christian denominations described the proposed reforms as a commendable initiative after 154 years. They maintained, however, that achieving the intended objectives would require clear legislative language, fair procedures and effective implementation.
The church leaders supported the proposed bill’s provision to set 18 years as the minimum legal age for marriage for both men and women. They also endorsed the provision defining marriage as a union between two Christian parties, a man and a woman, and called for effective legal safeguards to protect the marital relationship.
They said clear legal provisions and effective mechanisms were also necessary to ensure the registration of marriages, the free and informed consent of both parties, maintenance for spouses, child protection and timely access to justice.
The Christian leaders maintained that the legislation should reflect the teachings of the Holy Bible and the diverse ecclesiastical traditions of Christian communities. They emphasised that the proposed law should not create the impression that the religious systems, traditions or regulations of any one denomination would be imposed on other churches.
They proposed meaningful consultation with all Christian denominations to ensure that their concerns and religious traditions were adequately considered. They also stressed the need to preserve the integrity of the existing legal framework and avoid ambiguity or contradictions in the proposed legislation. The church leaders further emphasised that every ecclesiastical institution participating in the consultative process must retain the right to independently articulate and submit its position in writing. The position of any single institution or denomination, they said, should not be treated as the collective or unanimous view of the entire Christian community.
The church leaders said they were continuing to examine the proposed bill and would submit their recommendations to the Sindh Assembly’s Standing Committee on Minorities Affairs.
Following the announcement by representatives of various Christian denominations, the proposed legislation is expected to undergo further consultation, with the views and recommendations of the stakeholders taken into account before the final draft is presented to the Sindh Assembly for approval.