Pakistani Sikhs refuse to register marriages under Act approved by Musharraf

Lahore, Apr 15 : No Sikh marriage has been solemnized so far in Pakistan under the Sikh Marriage Act (SMA) 2008 which was approved by President Pervez Musharraf on January 16, because the Sikhs say that the Act has many anomalies.

The Act had replaced the Anand Marriage Act 1909 after Sikhs all over the country demanded that it be repealed since it did not cater to the requirements of their marriages.

On the last day of the Baisakhi festival on Monday, many Sikh couples were married, but none of them were registered under the SMA, the Daily Times quoted Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Bishan Singh as saying.

According to the paper, Singh's own children were married earlier this month, but neither of the marriages was registered under the SMA. Singh's son was married on April 2 and daughter on April 4.

Singh said that a delegation of Sikhs from across the world met Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who assured the delegation that the government would resolve all problems of the Sikhs. He added that the SMA needed to be amended and that no couple had applied to him to register their marriage under the act.

The PSGPC president said that the government could register Sikh marriages at Nankana Sahib, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore. However, sources said that no PSGPC worker had been posted at any of these cities for the purpose of registering marriages.

ANI