On 25 Sep, the govt. in Sindh, Pakistan appointed sixteen marriage registrars to register Hindu and Sikh marriages under the Hindus Marriage Act 2018. The appointment ceremony was held at the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Sukkur office, attended by SHRC Board Member Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani and Sukkur Deputy Commissioner Raja Mohammad Bakhsh Deharejo, who awarded certificates to the participants. For the first time, pundits (priests) from minority communities have been officially recognized as marriage registrars. This is crucial for registering marriages within Sindh's large Hindu population. During the event, Hemnani expressed satisfaction with SHRC's efforts, highlighting the proactive measures taken to implement the legislation across Sindh. He announced plans to extend the registration of marriage registrars to other districts in Sindh, prioritizing areas with larger minority populations. It must be noted that while Panjab province in Pakistan implemented the Sikh Marriage Act in June 2024, other provinces like Sindh have not implemented it, hence the Hindu Marriage Act prevails (SDW Vol 2 Issue 11, Story 5). Meanwhile, following reports of Sikh devotees being harassed and overcharged during visits to celebrate Guru Nanak birth anniversary, various Sikh organizations have advised pilgrims visiting Pakistan to carry US dollars and refrain from paying fees to jatha (visiting groups) organizers. Ramesh Singh Arora, president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Pakistan Panjab province’s first Sikh minister, highlighted the issue of unfavorable exchange rates set by private money exchangers due to the lack of formal diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.
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