Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has enacted the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024, which sets the minimum marriageable age for Christian men and women at eighteen, during a special ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

According to Pakistan Peoples Party, the amendment was made to Section 60 of the original Christian Marriage Act of 1872, which previously set the marriageable ages at sixteen for men and thirteen for women. This legislative change aligns with broader efforts to standardize the age of marriage across different communities in Pakistan.

During the ceremony, President Zardari advocated for increased employment quotas for minorities in government jobs, announcing his intention to propose further enhancements to the government. He emphasized the equal rights and citizenship of minorities, urging them to remain undeterred by isolated incidents of discrimination.

The event was attended by key figures including the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Secretary MORA, Mr. Zulfiquar Haider, and members of the Christian community along with senior government officials. Bishop Abraham Daniel, speaking at the ceremony, expressed the Christian community’s longstanding demand for this change and acknowledged President Zardari’s consistent support for minority rights, citing his previous initiatives such as the reservation of a 5% quota in government jobs for minorities, the allocation of special Senate seats, and the declaration of August 11 as Minorities’ Day.

Secretary Haider reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upholding the constitutional rights and values laid down by the founders of Pakistan, aimed at ensuring equality and justice for all citizens irrespective of their religious beliefs.