HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court (SHC) Hyderabad Circuit Bench on Friday ordered the deputy commissioners in the province to issue instructions to marriage registrars for enforcement of Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013.
The order was given by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar while hearing three identical petitions related to the protection of free will marriage couples.
Sindh Home Secretary Qazi Shahid Pervaiz, Women Development Secretary Mudassir Iqbal, the chief secretary’s representatives and Sindh IG police, Women Development Department Deputy Director Fauzia Ashraf and other officials attended the hearing.
The age factor is one of the reasons that girls become prey to such practices perpetuated by ill-motivated persons and for this purpose Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act was introduced, the judge observed.
“According to the act, the underage marriage is an offence, therefore, is punishable by three years’ imprisonment. All Nikkah registrars shall ensure that a girl has the national identity card or proof in shape of school certificate or medical certificate issued by the concerned authorities.
Else marriage shall not be registered and in case of violation police officers shall proceed against the delinquent persons,” the order reads.
The officials assured the court that 2016 order by the Sindh High Court (SHC), Karachi in Rehmat Bibi case would be implemented within a month.
They said under the order the Women Commission, which had been established, would be made functional and operational and that it would submit its recommendations for providing protection to freewill marriage couples within 15 days.
The women development secretary apprised the court that safe houses at taluka level, as ordered in the Rehmat Bibi case, had been established.
Iqbal informed the court that the department’s three rehabilitation centres were working in Hyderabad, Nawabshah and Jacobabad districts.
However, when the court asked the official to provide statistics as to how many women had been provided rehabilitation facility at those centres, the official expressed his inability to share the figures.
“The incapacity to produce record is itself alarming,” the judge noted.
The officials told the court that a provincial helpline would be established for receiving complaints and providing protection to the women.
