PML-N to table premarital blood screening bill

Objective is to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, thalassemia and hepatitis

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark move, the ruling party will table a bill next week on the pre-marital blood screening of couples to check the spread of communicable diseases, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is going to present a Family Laws Amendment Bill in the Senate in an effort to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, thalassemia, hepatitis and other diseases through pre-marital blood screening.

Around 8,000 babies are born every year with thalassemia major in Pakistan, according to the Fatimid Foundation, an NGO working for treatment of the disease.



“I will move the bill on July 26. The basic objective of the bill is to prevent the spread of communicable diseases which are transmitted through genetic abnormalities and blood transmission,” Chaudhry Tanvir told The Express Tribune.

He said under the amended family laws – which include Muslim marriage, Christian Marriage and Divorce Act and Parsi Marriage Act – a couple will be bound to get their blood screened before the marriage.



“After the legislation, marriage will not be considered valid without the report of blood screening and the (couple) will be bound to get a medical certificate from the concerned doctor,” he said. The Nikah registrar, according to him, will register the marriage after getting a medical report from the concerned doctor.

He claimed that being a public representative he is dealing with many people, who are facing such diseases. “Therefore, I have decided to introduce the family law amendment bill so that these diseases could be prevented,” he added.



Another official, privy to the development, said  the religious affairs ministry is also a stakeholder in the proposed legislation as the family laws also fall under their jurisdiction. “The religious affairs ministry is bound to give its input as without its consent an amended bill cannot move further,” he added.

Ministry of Religious Affairs Director General DG (Research) Noor Salam Shah told The Express Tribune that the ministry has received the draft for input and in this regard a meeting between the ministry’s officials and Parliamentary Secretary Sheikh Aftab will be held on July 25.

“So far, the draft is at the initial stage and ministry has also called its internal meeting to get input from religious scholars. Apparently, there is nothing in the draft which could be opposed and hopefully the ministry will support the bill,” he added.

Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid told The Express Tribune that it is a good initiative of a PML-N lawmaker. However, he said, he has not received the draft. “The ministry will examine the draft after consulting all stakeholders,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2016.