Sikh community lauds unanimous approval of marriage act

Coincidently, bill was passed the same day as 550th Nanakshahi

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)'s MPA Ramesh Singh Arora thanked parliamentarians of the Punjab Assembly on behalf of the Sikh community over unanimously passing the "Punjab Anand Karaj Act 2017" (a Sikh marriage Act).

Arora, while speaking during the assembly session, informed that he received numerous messages over making history through the bill, protecting the community’s family related issues.

Moreover, he stated that the minority group offered special thanks to the parliamentarians for giving respect to the community by considering their problems.  Upon which Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan reciprocated the feelings of gratitude towards the Sikh community.



The new law was tabled as private members bill by Ramesh Singh Arora and received unanimous support in provincial assembly. It is the first of its kind in the world and provides for the solemnisation and registration of Sikh marriages in Punjab. The new law defines a Sikh marriage – Anand Karaj – as being a lawful union between a Sikh male and Sikh female. It provides a definition of a Sikh in accordance with the Sikh Rehit Maryada.

“This is a historical achievement for the Pakistani Sikh community and I have passed on our collective congratulations and well wishes to S. Ramesh Singh Arora, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Pakistan High Commission in London. It is pleasing to see that the law was passed on the same day as the 550th Nanakshahi, the Sikh New Year”, said Secretary General Sikh Council, UK Jagtar Singh.