Islamabad (Web Desk/Agencies): President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday assented to “The Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024,” increasing the minimum marriage age limit for members of the Christian faith from 16 to 18 years.
Addressing the signing ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr (presidency) in Islamabad this afternoon, he reiterated that the minority communities living in Pakistan, enjoyed equal rights and stressed upon increasing jobs quota for them in different government departments.
President Zardari said that he would write to the federal government to enhance the jobs quota for minorities in different government departments.
“I will definitely write to the government and ask them for this,” he said, adding there should be a quota for the minorities in every department.
The president said that all the citizens of the country had equal rights and urged the minorities to continue playing their role for the progress and prosperity of the country as this soil and land belonged to them as much as to him.
He also advised them not be disheartened at certain issues pertaining to politics as in every society, there might be some problems.
President Zardari mentioned that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had given sacrifices for the country as their leaders and workers laid down lives for the people.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain, secretary of the religious ministry, officials and representatives of the Christian community.
Speaking on the occasion, Bishop Abraham Daniel said that raising the age of marriage for men and women had been a long-standing demand of the Christian community.
He expressed his gratitude to the President for signing the Act into law during a special ceremony and also thanked him for his role in his previous tenure in reserving a 5% quota for minorities in government jobs, besides allocating special seats for minorities in the Senate as well as declaring 11th August as Minorities’ Day in Pakistan.
Secretary of Ministry of Religious Affairs Zulfiquar Haider said that the government was committed to safeguarding the rights of minorities in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan, and the vision and values of the country’s founding fathers.
Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024.
“The Act provides for raising the marriageable age for Christian men and women to eighteen years.
The President accorded assent to the Act under Article 75 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Act amends Section 60 of the Christian Marriage Act of 1872. Prior to the amendments, the age of Christian men and women intending to be married was required to exceed sixteen and thirteen years respectively,” President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release.