A standing committee of the National Assembly has rejected a proposed bill seeking to impose a ban on the practice of dowry, describing the legislation as impractical and difficult to enforce. The decision was taken during a meeting held on Tuesday, marking a setback for efforts aimed at criminalising dowry-related practices in Pakistan.
The meeting of the NA Standing Committee on Interior was chaired by MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz, where the bill was presented by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Sharmila Faruqui.
Bill proposed fines and criminal penalties
The proposed legislation aimed to criminalise dowry and introduce fines and penalties for those found violating the law. It sought to discourage the exchange of dowry at the time of marriage and reduce social pressure on families, particularly women.
However, the bill also included a provision allowing parents to give voluntary gifts to their daughters, provided they were not demanded or coerced. Supporters of the bill argued that this clause protected cultural practices while addressing exploitation.
Despite these provisions, members of the committee unanimously rejected the bill, stating that enforcing such restrictions would be unrealistic in Pakistan’s social context.
Faruqui criticises committee decision
Following the rejection, Sharmila Faruqui took to social media platform X to express disappointment over the outcome. She said the discussion in the committee reflected encouragement rather than restraint of the dowry system.
“Dowry is not a culture. It is coercion,” Faruqui wrote. She added that the state should stand with women and not normalise practices that commodify them. According to her, protecting dowry amounts to choosing patriarchy over dignity.
Despite the setback, Faruqui vowed to continue her campaign against dowry, saying her fight was “far from over.”
Legal and religious context
The debate around dowry has gained renewed attention in recent years. In July, the Supreme Court ruled that denying dowry or maintenance to a woman on the grounds of infertility is illegal. The landmark judgment condemned the use of infertility as a tool to humiliate women in legal proceedings.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, while heading a two-judge bench, described the practice as sorrowful and said courts often become venues for degrading women under the guise of litigation.
Meanwhile, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has also proposed reforms to dowry-related laws. During its 239th meeting in October last year, the CII recommended increasing punishment under the Dowry and Bridal Gift Act from six months to one year of imprisonment.
The CII also suggested revising the maximum dowry limit from Rs5,000 to two tolas of gold and increasing allowable wedding expenses accordingly, highlighting ongoing efforts to regulate the practice rather than impose an outright ban.
