KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said that Sindh had pioneered rights-based legislation in Pakistan and continued to strengthen its implementation through coordinated efforts with government departments and development partners.

He said this during a meeting, held at CM House, with a delegation of Punjab parliamentarians organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

According to a press statement issued by the CM House, the meeting focused on women and child protection laws and Sindh’s pioneering legislative framework designed to safeguard vulnerable segments of society.

Parliamentarians from Punjab included Ali Gilani, Ahmer Bhattai, Rana Muhammad Arshad, Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Muhammad Awais Dareshak, Shahbaz Ahmad, Sarah Ahmad, Ishrat Ashraf, PDU’s Attaullah Awais, Asfa, Sultan Daud, Usama Khawar, PDU, UNFPA deputy representative, and others.

During the meeting, the CM outlined key legislation enacted by the Sindh government, saying that the Sindh Child Protection Authority Act, 2011, established a formal institutional mechanism for the protection and welfare of children in need of special care.

He said that the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013, prohibited and penalised child marriages, particularly to safeguard young girls from early and forced unions.

CM Shah said the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2013, protects women, children, and vulnerable persons from all forms of domestic violence, ensuring mechanisms for reporting, protection, and justice.

He said that the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women Act, 2015, established a statutory body to promote women’s political, economic, and social rights and to monitor the government’s compliance with national and international gender equality commitments.

The CM said that the Women Agricultural Workers Act, 2019, recognised women engaged in agriculture as formal workers entitled to fair wages, decent working conditions, and access to social protection schemes.

He said that the government passed the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act, 2016, which provided a legal framework for marriage registration within the Hindu community, ensuring the protection of family and inheritance rights for minority women.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen inter-provincial collaboration on human rights legislation and to continue partnerships with UNFPA for policy dialogue, technical support, and institutional capacity building.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2025