KARACHI: All marriages should be registered at the offices of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), said lawyer and activist Zia Ahmed Awan on Saturday.
Addressing a press briefing on child marriages at the Madadgaar National Helpline, Awan, who is the founder of the organisation, suggested that union council offices should be linked with NADRA and all marriages recorded with it. "There have been instances where men have married 10 to 15 women, and in the absence of their marriage registrations, young girls had no way to verify it," he said. He added that nikah registrar licences should only be given to those who had, at the very least, graduated from Intermediate.
Appreciating the child marriage law, he said that while the law punishes the perpetrator, the drawback that remained was that the marriage was not declared null and void, leaving the dissolution of the marriage to the family courts. "We demand that the government forms a task force to implement the law and ensure that no child marriages are taking place," he said.
Giving recommendations for curbing this menace, Awan said that a mechanism should be set up to determine the age of children. "A census must be held in the country and in the process, it should be ensured that birth certificates are issued."
Waheed Zafar, another member of the organisation, stressed the need for the other three provinces to take steps to pass similar legislation. "Religious leaders can play an important role in spreading awareness against early marriages within their communities," he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2014.
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