Adultery, the Ground for Dissolution of Christian Marriage in Pakistan: Intersectional Constraint to Christian Women in Pakistan

Divorce from a distressful and unhappy marital alliance implies emancipation from perpetual pain, abuse, agony and violence but the social stigma attached to a divorced woman casts its shadow for life in the patriarchal and paternalistic socio-cultural settings in Pakistan. Seeking a judicial redress for dissolution of marriage is a legal right that needs to be available equally to both men and women. However, Christian married couples who apply for a divorce, are left with no options except to invoke the charge of adultery under Christian Divorce Act 1869. Proving adultery as a ground for dissolution of marriage stands as an impediment entailing character assassination of the accused and narrows the application of divorce on other grounds, such as domestic violence, abandonment by husbands and cruelty. The clergy representing Christian community fully supports the ground of adultery for dissolution of Christian marriage and vehemently opposes any position that calls for inclusion of nofault divorce. _________

Decentralization and Sources of Interprovincial Growth Dependency and Disparities: A Case Study of Pakistan

Regional (provincial) growth inequalities and deprivation among provinces of Pakistan is one of the hot issues. It is a general perception that small provinces are neglected in the development process, while main focus of development policies was on large provinces. This study the first of its kind, which analyzes the relationship among the growth rates of provinces in Pakistan. It also explores sources of regional inequalities among provinces. In this context, the role of monetary and fiscal polices, are also explored. To understand, the nature of economic relationships and regional pattern of growth among provinces, the study Applied Engle Granger (EG) cointegration technique. The use of EG enables to analyze inter-provincial growth rates on one to one basis. The study has estimated 144 co-integrating equations to explore the dynamic relationship between GDP, agriculture, industry and services sectors of Pakistan and in its four provinces. Empirical evidences are drawn within sectoral relationship and among the four provinces of Pakistan. The results reveal that GDP growth rate of Punjab and Sindh provinces complement each other, in the development process. However, it revealed that the deprived provinces of Balochistan and KPK growth rates depend upon Sindh and Punjab. The sectoral cointegration analysis indicated that linkages across sectors and provinces are weak; among poor provinces. The findings confirm that there is a significant sectoral relationship and integration between relatively developed provinces of Punjab and Sindh. Their growth benefited each other, across provinces. This may be due to the fact that planning in Pakistan, before the 18th Amendment in the constitution, was centralized, and polices were focused on sectoral development rather than regional development; while regional income inequalities were ignored which led to provincial deprivation and inequalities. Further, the results of the study also supported that the growth of agriculture and industry, in each province, significantly depends on the growth of the services sector of the same province, as well as, on the service sectors of other provinces. The study has also estimated the impact of monetary and fiscal Policy on inter provincial growth differentials. For this, purpose panel data was utilized by applying fixed effect model. The analysis indicated that fiscal policy helped to reduce the regional growth disparities in Pakistan, whereas monetary policies enrage the situation of increasing income inequalities in the provinces. The study indicted high variations in the level of financial development across provinces, which may be one of the reasons for less development in the poor provinces like Balochistan and KPK. Lastly, an important finding of the study is that the incidences of terrorism and electricity load shedding, have augmented the regional growth disparities among provinces and in Pakistan. The shortfall in electricity has most affected the large scale manufacturing sector of Sindh, whereas the terrorism mostly affects KPK and Balochistan, which further fueled deprivation of the neglected province. The study suggests that planning and policy making should use from bottom up approach to address the above cited emerging economic issues. Provinces be empowered to have lion’s share in financial exchequer and economic decision making. The central planning body had members from each province who had responsibility to keep check on regional equity and disparities. The very concept of the institution has lost, since government servants (CSP officers) are serving on these positions now and they hardly play their role in this respect. It is recommended that the central planning body (Planning Commission) and Central bank should play their role in curtailing regional income inequalities and deprivations. There is an earnest need to integrate all provinces in to the main framework of economic development, on equity basis. Besides, although there is a right step of NFC award, which provides more resources to provinces but still there is a need to strengthen it more in terms of more economic power to provinces if they have to be integrated. Special development programs are needed to integrate relatively underdeveloped provinces of Balochistan and KPK; if at all regional equity has to be maintained and these provinces have to bring out of the sense of deprivation.