PESHAWAR, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has passed the Kalash Marriage Bill 2026, creating a formal legal framework for marriages within the Kalash community.
The legislation requires the free consent of both parties and sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage. Both individuals must also be mentally competent and must not fall within prohibited degrees of relationship.
The bill prohibits first-cousin marriages among members of the Kalash community.
It also requires that every Kalash marriage be registered with a designated local registrar. Relevant government offices will maintain records of marriages, divorces and other forms of marital dissolution.
The legislation states that divorce, khula and dissolution cases will be decided in accordance with Kalash customs and traditions. Inheritance rights following a husband’s death will also be determined under the community’s traditional system.
Violations may result in fines or legal proceedings. The penalties also cover the submission of false information and failure to register a marriage.
Read: Kalash Valleys UNESCO Tentative Listing Announced
The bill’s passage comes after UNESCO placed the Kalasha Cultural Landscape in Chitral district on its World Heritage Tentative List. The listed landscape covers the Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir valleys in the Hindu Kush range.
UNESCO described the area as a living cultural landscape where the Kalasha community’s beliefs, settlements, agriculture, rituals and governance remain closely connected. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi called the tentative-list inclusion a proud moment for Pakistan
