DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Saturday initiated consultations on proposed legislation relating to the Christian Marriage Act, with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati stressing the need for consensus-based lawmaking through engagement with all stakeholders.
The consultative meeting, chaired by the speaker at the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, was convened to discuss the proposed legal framework and facilitate broad-based consultations before drafting legislation.
Among those attending were Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam, MPAs Askar Parvez, Shazia Tehmas, Mehr Sultana and Gurdeep Singh, former MPA Wazirzada, Ravi Kumar and other stakeholders.
Addressing the participants, Mr Swati said matters relating to religion were highly sensitive and should be addressed with seriousness, patience and consultation rather than through emotional debate or unnecessary controversy.
He said social issues affecting communities should not be ignored and called on all stakeholders to work together to develop practical and sustainable solutions. Failure to address such matters in time, he added, could lead to greater social challenges.
The speaker directed the authorities to obtain the draft legislation prepared by the Sindh Assembly for review. He also asked that draft proposals prepared by MPA Askar Parvez and other members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly be submitted to Law Minister Aftab Alam.
He said all available drafts and recommendations should be examined to prepare a comprehensive legislative framework through consensus while safeguarding the rights and welfare of the communities concerned.
Mr Swati said the objective was to formulate the best possible legal framework and announced that the Speaker of the National Assembly would be approached to explore the possibility of introducing uniform legislation at the federal level.
