Christian Lawyers Forum Rejects Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill 2026

The Christian Lawyers Forum Sindh has unanimously rejected the proposed Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill 2026 in its present form. The forum has called for its withdrawal and demanded wider consultation with Christian religious leaders, lawyers and civil society.

The development comes as the proposed legislation remains under consideration by the Sindh Assembly. The Assembly referred the Private Bill No. 05 of 2026 to its Standing Committee on Minorities Affairs on September 8. The committee was given two weeks to examine the legislation and report back to the house.

Lawyers Raise Concerns Over Proposed Law

A consultative meeting was held at the central office of the Christian Lawyers Forum Sindh to review the proposed legislation.

Senior Christian lawyers examined different provisions of the Bill. Participants said the draft required further consideration and raised concerns about its compatibility with Church Canon Laws.

Those attending included Saleem Michael, Iqbal Khurram, Shahbaz Sahotra Advocate, Legal Adviser to the Karachi Catholic Archdiocese, and Senior Advocate Iqbal Lal.

Younis Khan, an advocate associated with Jamaat-e-Islami’s minority affairs, also addressed the meeting.

Forum Calls for Wider Consultation

Advocate Shahid Bhatti, Barner Newton and Jennifer Stephen expressed reservations about the proposed legislation.

They stressed that Christian marriage and family laws should remain consistent across Pakistan and its provinces.

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Other lawyers at the meeting also raised concerns over various provisions. They included Samson Malik, Sohail Bhatti of the MQM-Pakistan Minority Wing, Rizwan Parvez, Enzler Khokhar and other advocates.

The forum criticised the introduction of the Bill without what it described as adequate consultation with Christian religious leadership, lawyers and civil society.

Church Opposition Adds to Debate

The dispute has also drawn opposition from senior Christian church leaders. The Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi said the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference had neither endorsed nor approved the Bill in its current form. Archbishop Benny Travas called for the Church’s objections to be placed on the legislative record and urged further consultation.

The Church of Pakistan has also been reported as denying that it consented to the proposed legislation. These positions differ from statements by supporters of the Bill, who have said consultations with Christian denominations took place during the drafting process.

Forum Urges Sindh Leadership to Wait

Christian Lawyers Forum Sindh General Secretary Zeeshan Ejaz, Advocate, called for further consultation before the Assembly proceeds with the Bill.

He urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Sindh chief minister and the speaker of the Sindh Assembly to avoid rushing the legislation.

Ejaz said the proposed law could create additional difficulties for members of the Christian community if concerns raised by stakeholders remain unresolved.

He stressed that meaningful consultation should take place before any further legislative action.

Bill Remains Under Committee Review

The proposed legislation was introduced in the Sindh Assembly by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed. According to reporting on the Bill, it seeks to establish a new legal framework covering Christian marriage, registration, dissolution, judicial separation, maintenance, remarriage and child custody.

For now, the Bill remains in the legislative process. The Standing Committee on Minorities Affairs is expected to examine the proposal and submit its recommendations to the Sindh Assembly.

The latest objections from Christian lawyers and church representatives are likely to form part of the wider debate over the proposed legislation.