PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s first Kalash Marriage Bill has successfully passed vetting by the Law Department and will soon be presented to the cabinet before being introduced in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Legislative Assembly. The legislation aims to protect and formalize the unique marital customs of the Kalash community, ensuring their traditions are legally recognized.
Qamar Naseem, Programme Manager at Blue Veins organization, made this announcement during the annual consultative workshop for the CSO Support group. The bill, a significant step in preserving the Kalash community’s customs, was drafted after much effort, as the community lacked a written record of its religious traditions. Once enacted, the bill will mark a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to safeguard the cultural rights of minority communities.
In addition to the Kalash Marriage Bill, the workshop discussed other initiatives, including the implementation of a two percent admission quota for minorities in public sector universities and measures to counter hate speech. The bill has now received approval from the Law Department and will be forwarded to the cabinet for further review.
