Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, which sets a minimum age of marriage of 18. Early marriage remains a serious problem, with 21 percent of girls in Pakistan marrying before the age of 18, according to UNICEF. Aarsi Mushaf Dikhana (آرسى مشف دِكهانا) or munh dekhai (منہ دِکھائی) is a ritual of “showing of the face” after the nikah ceremony. Once accepted, the would-be bride is presented with a decorated red scarf and gifts. Traditionally, an envelope with cash or gifts are given to the bride or groom when wedding guests come to visit them during the shaadi reception. International Center for Research on Women and UNFPA, Child marriage in Southern Asia, Policy Options for Action, 2013,https://www.icrw.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/CHILDMARRIAGE-F-13.pdf (accessed December 2019). National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) and ICF,. The Nikah (نِكاح) is the formal marriage ceremony where a marriage contract, or Nikahnama (نکاح نامہ), is signed by both the bride and the groom in presence of close family members. In Pakistan, child marriage is exacerbated by: Gender norms: Deeply entrenched patriarchal norms continue to drive child marriage. Later, the debt is repaid at future weddings or events. Pakistan Today, CII opposes child marriages but won’t support legislation,[website], 2019, https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/05/03/cii-opposes-child-marriages-but-wont-support-legislation/ (accessed December 2019). It is typically a huge celebration with many relatives and as well as invited guests of both families in attendance. It is also customary in some families for the husband to present his newly-wed wife with a small token of affection. Jannh is a Baloch wedding ceremony hosted by the family of the groom.[13]. COVID-19: latest news and resources on child marriage and COVID-19, Ending child marriage in challenging times – a message from our CEO, 10 ways the world got closer to ending child marriage in the last 10 years, COVID-19 and child, early and forced marriage: An agenda for action, Child Marriage: a Form of Violence Against Children, Surfer not bride: how Naomi waved goodbye to early marriage, More than a white dress: In the midst of the Syrian crisis, girls rise to end child marriage. The entire groom's family, friends and relatives are invited along with relatives and friends of the bride's family. In some ceremonies, a certain number of married women who are closely related to the bride may apply henna to her hands, and feed her sweets. Rasm-e-Heena (رسمی حنا) or mehndi (مہندی) is a ceremony that is named after henna, a dye prepared from the Lawsonia inermis plant which is mixed into a paste form to apply onto the hands of the bride and groom. Records for non-Muslims are still registered with their respective community head offices. The responsibility of Shaadi is often cited as a reason subcontinental families prefer male offspring. As evening approaches, the mahfil and khorag occurs. It is customary for roses or rose petals to be laid across the couples' bed and sometimes for garlands or strings of roses to be used as bed curtains. Bijjar ( بجر ) is referred to as cooperation in Balochi language. Paon Dhulai is a Sindhi wedding tradition, where the bride's brother washes the feet of both of the bride and groom. A typical Pakistani wedding, or Shaadi (شادی) consists of two main events - the Nikkah and Walima. The groom will typically wear a casual black or white shalwar qameez, sherwani or western suit while the bride will typically wear an embroidered brightly colored shalwar kameez, sari or lehnga. This can often result in the first few weeks of married life for the newly weds being spent hosting further dinner parties with the shaadi guests. Most marriages in Pakistan are traditional arranged marriages, semi-arranged marriages or love marriages. [10][14] The bride's family, specifically the bride’s parents, invite the groom's family and their guests for a feast. [3] These traditions extend to other countries around in the world where Overseas Pakistani communities exist.[4][5]. The Punjab Government has proposed a bill for amendment of the age of child marriage from 16 to 18 years (previously, a bill introducing harsher penalties for marriage under the age of 16 was adopted). This is generally a ring or a family heirloom. Baraat (Urdu: برات) is the groom's wedding procession which mainly occurs in Punjabi weddings and in Karachi. [11] In Balochi language, the groom is referred to as the Saloonk, while the bride is referred to as the Sargwap. Sometimes elaborate musical and acting performances are part of the Rasm-e-Heena celebrations, as well as competitions between the bride and groom's families are also quite common these days. Rukhsati (رُخصتی) - "sending off" (sometimes called Doli (ڈولی) - "palanquin") takes place when the groom and bride leave the shaadi venue together with the elders of the Family. During its 2018 Universal Periodic Review, Pakistan agreed to examine recommendations to make the minimum age of marriage for women and men 18. Before this point the bride and groom will have already been married in the eyes of God by the imam in the nikkah. It is customary for the bridegroom to travel to the shaadi venue on a mare, accompanied by the groom's family members. UNICEF and Planning & Development Department Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2016-17 Gilgit-Baltistan, 2017, https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/South%20Asia/Pakistan%20%28Gilgit-Baltistan%29/2016-2017/Final/Pakistan%202016-17%20MICS%20%28Gilgit-Baltistan%29_English.pdf (accessed December 2019). Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1996, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage. Today, registration authorities can only register Muslim marriages and divorces in accordance with provisions set forth by the MFLO. A 2017 World Bank/ICRW study estimated that ending child marriage in Pakistan could see a 13% rise in earnings and productivity for Pakistani women who married early. Representatives of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), including Pakistan, asserted the Kathmandu Call to Action to End Child Marriage in Asia in 2014. The groom's female relatives lead the bride to the bedroom and she is left for some time to await the groom's arrival. UNFPA, Child marriage in Pakistan, a Taboo, 2007, [unpublished]. However, in Islam as it is considered haram (impermissible) for any person to restrain a married woman from going with her husband, after the Nikkah has been performed[17]. UNICEF global databases 2020, based on Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), and other national surveys. Sindh is the only Pakistani province where the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys is 18, as set by the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, adopted in 2014 by the Sindh Assembly unanimously. After the ceremony has finished, the couple cannot leave the house. Arranging the Shaadi may be a challenge where the bride’s parent(s) are without means, deceased or otherwise estranged. The Shaadi is expected to be lavish and is considered an important responsibility on the bride’s father. [1] THE MUSLIM FAMILY LAWS ORDINANCE 1961 (VIII of 1961) [2 nd March 1961]. She then spent some time at her parents' house before heading back to her new husband's home. Doorway blocking - the females of the grooms side block the doorway for him to get to his wife, until he rewards them with a gift or money. Women from both families are given this task to write up a list of all those invited. Marriage in Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستانی شادی ) pertains to wedding traditions established and adhered by Pakistani men and women.Despite their local and regional variations, marriages in Pakistan generally follow Islamic marital jurisprudence. Bijjar usually came in the form of cattle or crops but nowadays is mainly money, which is repaid back at weddings of relatives and friends at a later time. BJP appears appeasing its voters anger on so called love jihad by this law. In some regions, Rasm-e-Heena is not celebrated while in other regions two Rasm-e-Heena celebrations are hosted, one by the groom's family and another by the bride's family. European Commission, Pakistan, [website], 2019, https://ec.europa.eu/echo/where/asia-and-pacific/pakistan_en (accessed December 2019). United Nations, Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, [website], 2017, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg5 (accessed December 2019). During its 2013 review, the CEDAW Committee raised concerns about the persistence of child marriages and the minimum age of marriage for girls in Pakistan. In 2019, a Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was passed in the Pakistani Senate to increase the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years. Nasrullah, M., et al., Girl Child Marriage and its Effect on Fertility in Pakistan: Findings from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey Data, 2006-07, 2013, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10995-013-1269-y (accessed December 2019). NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the Proclamation of the … Plan Pakistan, A Research Study on Child Marriage in Punjab, Pakistan, 2013, [unpublished], Shirkat Gah, Obstructing Progress: Growing Talibanisation & Poor Governance in Pakistan, Shadow Report, 2013, http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20Documents/PAK/INT_CEDAW_NGO_PAK_13276_E.pdf (accessed December 2019), South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children,[website], 2018, http://www.saievac.org/ (accessed December 2019). Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18, 2019, https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR354/FR354.pdf (accessed April 2020). [15] In recent times, withholding or delaying the rukhsati has been used to exert control over the couple by the family of the bride or to extract dowry from the groom. Pakistan has committed to eliminate child, early and forced marriage by 2030 in line with target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Traditionally, the groom would travel to the venue by a decorated horse and after, the bride will leave in a doli (palanquin) - see section ruksathi below. Pakistan has the sixth highest absolute number of women married or in a union before the age of 18 in the world – 1,821,000. Political activists and journalists were targeted and charged under draconian laws, including the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), the Anti-Terrorism Act, and sections of the penal code on sedition and defamation. 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