Controversy has erupted over a proposed law to overhaul Christian family legislation in Pakistan’s Sindh province after the Catholic Church and the Church of Pakistan both denied giving their consent to the bill, despite claims that the two major denominations were consulted during its preparation.
Archbishop Benny Travas of the Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi said the proposed Christian Family Laws Bill 2026 was neither endorsed nor approved by the Catholic Church, while the Rt. Rev. Frederick John, bishop of the Karachi Diocese of the Church of Pakistan, also categorically rejected any suggestion that he had consented to the legislation.
Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, the province’s first Christian to hold the position, introduced the Christian Family Laws Bill 2026 as a private member’s bill on Sept. 8.
The proposed legislation would raise the minimum marriage age for Christian men and women to 18 and replace the colonial-era Christian Marriage Act of 1872 and Divorce Act of 1869 in Sindh.
The bill would require the free and voluntary consent of both parties for a valid marriage and establish procedures for the solemnization and registration of Christian marriages, dissolution of marriage, judicial separation, maintenance and alimony, remarriage, and the custody, maintenance and education of minor children.
It also sets out grounds for dissolution of marriage, including adultery, contracting another marriage, cruelty, rape or violence, and desertion for more than two years, among others. To prevent prolonged litigation, the bill proposes that family cases be decided within six months.
The proposed law says its purpose is to strengthen legal protection for Christian women, children and families while safeguarding the religious beliefs, traditions and practices of the Christian community.
The bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Minorities Affairs, which was given two weeks to examine it and report back to the assembly.
According to Naveed, the legislation followed months of consultations by a subcommittee of the Sindh Minority Caucus comprising himself, Sindh Chief Minister’s Special Assistant Dr. Sham Sundar Advani and MPA Mahesh Kumar Hasija. He also claimed that the subcommittee consulted representatives of the Catholic Church, Church of Pakistan, Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church, Salvation Army and major Pentecostal churches.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi, however, said participation by Catholic representatives in the consultations did not amount to approval or endorsement of the legislation.
“The Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (PCBC) categorically clarifies that the proposed Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill 2026 was neither endorsed nor approved by the Catholic Church,” the Archdiocese said in a statement issued on Sept. 10.
The Archdiocese said it had formally submitted detailed objections and recommendations to the relevant authorities, citing “substantive constitutional, legal and ecclesiastical concerns” and proposing significant amendments.
Two days later, on Sept. 12, Bishop John of the Church of Pakistan also issued a statement rejecting what he called misleading claims regarding his alleged consent to the bill.
John said he “categorically and unequivocally” distanced himself from claims by Naveed suggesting that he had been consulted, conducted a comprehensive review and formally consented to the proposed legislation.
The bishop said his name and ecclesiastical authority had been invoked without prior discussion, thorough review or formal communication with him.
John said he had been invited by a provincial office to view the draft during a preliminary consultation, but that the meeting covered only basic descriptions and definitions of Christian terminology. The information from that meeting, he said, was not accurately represented on the assembly floor.
He also said the draft’s definition of “Church” was inadequately framed and that several important Christian terms had been omitted.
A subsequent meeting was held without John’s personal participation, he said, but he sent a clergyman as his official representative. According to John, the representative reported that significant work remained to be done, and the meeting concluded with an understanding that additional sessions were needed to finalize the text.
“In short, the current document remains incomplete, immature, and entirely unready to be presented before the provincial assembly,” John said.
The bishop said he had formally submitted reservations, theological critiques and alternative proposals concerning the bill to the relevant authorities.
While saying he did not inherently oppose legislative amendments needed to address modern administrative realities, John said he firmly opposed any modernization of family laws that came at the expense of Christian sacraments or core Christian beliefs.
He emphasized that marriage is a sacred covenant rather than merely a civil or social contract and said legislation governing Christian marriage should adhere to biblical teaching, Christian theology and historical church tradition.
John also called for protection of the religious liberties and sacramental practices of Christian communities, saying no individual or church official should pledge support for or approve such legislation without a thorough, transparent and collaborative consultation process.
He recommended establishing a national working committee on Christian family laws rather than developing separate provincial frameworks.
“It is vital to maintain national uniformity on Christian family laws, particularly regarding the sacrament of Holy Matrimony,” he said, warning that separate provincial legislation could create conflicting legal frameworks for Christians across Pakistan and contribute to fragmentation within the Christian community.
Catholic objections
The Catholic Church said its representatives participated in an April 28 meeting of a sub-group of the Sindh Minority Parliamentary Caucus to review a draft of the proposed Christian family laws. It stressed, however, that participation in the consultation process did not constitute approval, consent or endorsement of the legislation.
The Archdiocese said it was concerned that the bill had been introduced without addressing substantive objections and recommendations submitted by the PCBC.
Among its objections, the Catholic Church said the proposed repeal of the Christian Marriage Act of 1872 and Christian Divorce Act of 1869 should be withdrawn because the laws are federal statutes.
It also opposed the creation of a province-specific Christian family law regime, calling instead for a uniform national framework applicable throughout Pakistan.
The Church said marriage and divorce laws should remain separate rather than being consolidated into a single statute. It also called for the legislation to recognize the Catholic understanding of marriage, particularly between baptized Christians, as the Sacrament of Matrimony and a sacred, lifelong covenant rather than merely a civil or legal contract.
The Archdiocese further called for safeguards against state interference with Catholic religious rites, sacramental life, ecclesiastical authority and internal governance. It said the definition of “Christian” should adequately recognize the distinct denominational and ecclesiastical identities of the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations.
Citing Article 20 of Pakistan’s Constitution, the Church said freedom of religion and the autonomy of religious institutions must be fully protected.
While acknowledging that the state may regulate the civil consequences of marriage and family relationships, it said such regulation must not alter or interfere with religious doctrine, rites or the ecclesiastical governance of churches.
The Catholic Church called on the Sindh Assembly, chief minister, minority affairs minister and law secretary to place its written objections on the legislative record, defer further legislative action and undertake meaningful consultation with the PCBC and other Christian stakeholders.
Naveed did not respond to text messages and phone calls seeking his comments on the objections raised by the two church denominations.
The controversy in Sindh comes as other provinces also move to reform laws affecting Christian families.
In Punjab, Minority Affairs Committee Chairman Falbous Christopher introduced a private member’s Christian Marriage Act Bill 2026 in April.
The proposed legislation would raise the minimum marriage age for Christian men and women to 18, require registration of marriages with union councils and the National Database and Registration Authority, and authorize registered churches across the province to solemnize Christian marriages.
The bill also sought to remove colonial-era restrictions, including a prohibition on solemnizing Christian marriages after 6 p.m.
The Punjab government later formed a technical committee headed by Punjab Minorities Affairs Minister Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora and comprising representatives of major Christian churches, lawmakers and civil society activists to build consensus on the bill’s provisions, particularly those concerning divorce, before it is presented for a vote.
Punjab has separately strengthened its broader child marriage law. The Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2026 came into force on May 11, raising the minimum marriage age for both girls and boys to 18 and making child marriage a cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offense.
The legislative push for stronger safeguards comes amid continuing reports of abduction, forced conversion and marriage involving Christian and other minority girls.
A Jubilee Campaign study, “Stolen Girls,” documented 210 verified cases involving abduction, forced conversion, child marriage and sexual violence against Christian and other minority girls between 2019 and 2025. Of those cases, 186 occurred in Punjab and 22 in Sindh, while more than 83 percent of the victims were under 18.
