In Pakistan, there are two laws governingHindu marriages. One is the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act of 2016 which is applicable in theSindh province of Pakistan and another is the Hindu Marriage Act of 2017 which is applicable inIslamabad Capital Territory,Balochistan,Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa andPunjab provinces. However, there are no laws and amendments made to register a marriage between two Hindus- one from Sindh and another from a different Province (Islamabad Capital Territory,Balochistan,Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa andPunjab).[1]
It is the first Hindu Marriage Act in Pakistan. It is applicable for Hindus living in theSindh province. TheSikhs andZorastrians can also register their marriage under this act.[2][1]
The Hindu Marriage Bill 2016 was moved by Sindh Parliamentary Affairs MinisterNisar Ahmed Khuhro.[3] In February 2016, theProvincial Assembly of Sindh passed the bill. As per this act any Hindu male and female above 18 can register their marriage.[2]
In 2018, the act was amended to add divorce and remarriage rights for couples and financial security of the wife and children after divorce.[4] The amendment was proposed byPakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) assembly memberNand Kumar Goklani.[5]
In 2018, the first inter-caste Hindu marriage was registered under the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act inMirpurkhas District.[6]
It is the first federal level personal law for Hindus.[7] It is applicable to the Hindus living in Islamabad Capital Territory, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.[1]The Hindu Marriage Bill was moved by Human Rights MinisterKamran Michael in 2016. It was unanimously passed by theNational Assembly of Pakistan in 2016.[8][9] In 2017, theSenate of Pakistan passed the bill.[10] In March 2017, the Pakistani PresidentMamnoon Hussain signed the Hindu Marriage Bill and thereby making it a law.[11] The bill paves the way for regulations on registration of marriages and divorce for Hindus and fixes the minimum marrying age for males and females at 18 years-old.[12]
The law was notified in Islamabad in 2023[13] and in Punjab in 2025.[14]