Pakistan Assembly passes Hindu marriage bill

Pakistan’s lower house of Parliament has passed a landmark bill giving its small Hindu minority the right to register marriages, the last major hurdle on the way to enacting a law aimed at protecting women’s rights.

The National Assembly passed the bill on Monday after 10 months of deliberation. The Senate is expected to pass the law without any significant delay

The new bill sets the minimum age for marriage for Hindus at 18. The minimum legal age for marriage for citizens of other religions is 18 for men and 16 for women.

The new law also legalises remarriage for a widow six months after her husband’s death.