Hindus in Pakistan have never had any official proof of marriage for the last 67 years, given that the country has no Hindu marriage law in place.
On Monday, Pakistan's lawmakers will finally take up the Hindu marriage bills, which could finally institutionalise marriages among the Hindus living in the Muslim-dominated country.
A parliamentary committee will review a private member bill called the 'Hindu Marriage Act 2014' as well as a government bill tabled earlier this year, Dawn reported.
If the committee gives a nod to the bills, it will pave the path for establishing rules for the registration of marriages of Pakistani Hindus, who, thus far, have lived without even basic documentation of marital status.
The government bill, tabled by Pakistan's Law Minister Pervaiz Rashid, highlights that "the Hindu community, particularly women, do not have basic documentation to prove their marital status or identity. They are also deprived of legal rights such as inheritance, remarriage, separation, adoption of children and annulment of marriage".
However, much will depend on which bill gets the final approval by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights.
The government bill will bring about the Hindu marriage law only for Islamabad, while the private one seeks to make the law common across Pakistan, according to Dawn's report.
