September 22, 2026
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
The Church of Pakistan has rejected the Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026, in their present form, calling for broader consultation with Christian denominations before legislation affecting Christian family life is enacted.
In a media statement issued on September 21, following a consultation of Christian leaders and representatives of different denominations, the Church said it had taken note of the Punjab Christian Marriage Legislation, 2026, the Sindh Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Christian Family Laws Bill, 2026. The bills have been introduced in the respective provincial assemblies and referred to their standing committees.
The Church said Christian marriage and family life are rooted in the Bible, Christian doctrine, ecclesiastical traditions and the Apostles’ Creed. It raised concerns over the definition of “Christian” in the proposed legislation, saying church leaders had proposed at a June 11, 2026 meeting of the Punjab Assembly’s Parliamentary Minority Caucus that the term refer to a person professing the Christian faith according to the Apostles’ Creed.
According to the Church, this wording was subsequently changed during the legislative and technical review process to “persons professing the Christian religion.” It called for any legislation concerning Christian personal and family matters to be developed through meaningful, denomination-wide consultation and to protect the community’s religious identity and ecclesiastical character.
The Church also expressed concern over provisions it said could establish a civil-law framework for Christian marriage and its dissolution without adequately preserving the Biblical, theological, ecclesiastical and sacramental character of marriage.
“Christian marriage cannot be treated merely as a civil contract while disregarding its religious and spiritual dimensions,” the statement said.
The Church called for substantive and transparent consultation with recognized Christian churches and denominations before legislation affecting Christian family life is enacted.
It also opposed the consolidation of marriage and divorce laws into a single statute, calling for marriage and divorce laws to remain separate pieces of legislation.
The Church further urged the federal government to develop modern, comprehensive and uniform Christian family laws, arguing that Christian personal and religious laws should remain a federal subject through appropriate constitutional amendments.
It said a uniform legal framework should apply to Christians throughout Pakistan while safeguarding religious freedom, denominational identity, sacramental life, fundamental rights and ecclesiastical autonomy.
Regarding the proposed legislation in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Church called for full respect for Article 20 of the Constitution, which provides for the freedom of religious communities to profess, practise and manage their religious institutions, subject to the Constitution and law.
It also said civil legislation should not interfere with church doctrine, ecclesiastical authority, religious rites, sacramental practices or the internal governance of Christian denominations.
The Church called for comprehensive theological, legal and denominational review of provisions concerning divorce, judicial separation and remarriage to ensure they do not conflict with what it described as the fundamental teachings and established principles of Christianity.
It further urged the government and provincial assemblies to provide sufficient time for representatives of major Christian denominations—including the Church of Pakistan, Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church, Salvation Army, Pentecostal Churches and other recognized Christian communities—to review the proposed legislation.
The statement acknowledged the need to modernize laws, protect families, safeguard women and children, and ensure access to justice. However, the Church said legal reform should not alter or diminish the religious identity, doctrine or ecclesiastical character of a community’s personal law.
The Church said it remained willing to engage with the federal government, members of the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, legal experts, theologians and other Christian denominations to develop a legal framework that protects constitutional rights, human dignity, family welfare, religious freedom and ecclesiastical autonomy.
It reiterated its rejection of the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bills in their present form and called for the Christian Marriage Act, 1872, and Divorce Act, 1869, to remain within the federal legal framework through appropriate constitutional and legislative amendments.
The Church said any future legislation should protect religious freedom, denominational identity, sacramental life, fundamental rights and ecclesiastical autonomy, and should be preceded by meaningful, transparent and denomination-wide consultation with Christian churches and relevant legal and theological experts.