PESHAWAR(National Times)- The Khyber Pakhtun\u00adkhwa government has tabled a bill in the provincial assembly to provide for solemnisation and registration of marriages by Kalash minority families, making 18 years\u2019 prohibitory age for both males and females for contracting marriages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kalash community, a minority of over 4,000 people, lives in a remote enclave of three valleys of Bumburet, Birir and Rambur villages of Chitral district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposed legislation, Kalash Marriage Bill 2026 was tabled in the KP Assembly and referred by the speaker to the relevant committee for detailed review and consultation before its final approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bill provides legal cover for Kalash marriages, customs and customary rites and it would be applicable to all those citizens of KP who profess Kalash faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Section 5 of the proposed legislation put in place conditions for solemnisation of Kalash marriages. It provides that the couples should be of sound mind, capable of giving a valid consent, having attained minimum age of 17 years and are not among the degrees of prohibited relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nOver 4,000 Kalash community members live in some villages of Chitral district<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Section 6 of the proposed legislation gives legal cover to the Kalash custom of shisha-istongas (a process of cleansing and purification between couples, upon completion of which the marriage is recognised as valid, within Kalash community) and states that as soon as the maraat ceremony (wedding feast by the husband family for the wife family) is performed, the Kalash couple enters into shisha-istongas, which shall be considered as valid marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under section 7, the marriage under the alashing custom, (special custom of marriage) shall be considered valid in case where a Kalash girl marries a Kalash man of her own will, without prior consent but before consummation of marriage, the girl\u2019s parents or close relatives visit her in-laws house, to verify and confirm her consent and happiness for the marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, section 8 of the proposed bill states as soon as consent of the girl is confirmed by her parents or her close relatives, the husband family offers the maraat to the parents and relatives of the wife and see them off with its gifts and presents in accordance with financial status of the husband\u2019s family and acceptance of maraat, by the parents or close relatives of the wife, is considered confirmation of the marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Section 9 of the proposed bill provides for the appointment of marriage registrar. It states that the concerned local government shall, by notification, appoint one or such number of marriage registrar at village and neighbourhood council levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under section 16 when a husband gives divorce (ja jhutik) to his wife, of his own free will, the husband would not be entitled to any compensation from the wife or her parents and also any of the dowry, articles or gifts, given at the time or after marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Besides, in the case of a woman refuses to live with her husband (referred as ja-parik), the parents of the wife shall be bound to refund the cost in cash or kind borne by the husband on his marriage, after deduction of the cost of items and gifts given by the wife party to the husband party during the course of marriage ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcoming the development, Mr Wazirzada, focal person to the chief minister on minority affairs and a member of the Kalash community, described the bill as a historic milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor the first time, our marriages and family systems are being formally recognised within the legal framework of the province, without compromising our centuries-old traditions. It is a step towards dignity, protection, and identity for our community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qamar Naseem, programme manager at Blue Veins and a key drafter of the bill, emphasised that the legislation is the result of an extensive and inclusive consultation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe bill has been developed through a comprehensive process of consultations involving the Kalash clergy, Qazis, local government representatives, and both men and women from the community. It reflects existing customs and has been endorsed by relevant community stakeholders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further clarified that the provisions related to marriage are rooted in long-standing Kalash traditions, which discourage marriages within seven generations of the paternal lineage. \u201cThe bill does not impose any new restriction but formally recognises and codifies these established cultural practices within a legal framework,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR(National Times)- The Khyber Pakhtun\u00adkhwa government has tabled a bill in the provincial assembly to provide for solemnisation and registration of marriages by Kalash minority families, making 18 years\u2019 prohibitory age for both males and females for contracting marriages. Kalash community, a minority of over 4,000 people, lives in a remote enclave of three valleys […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n
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