Family & Society

Is premarital medical screening legally required in Pakistan?

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Do not assume that a single nationwide premarital medical panel applies to every nikah. Screening rules need to be checked against the relevant provincial law and current registration procedure.

Sindh has a Prevention and Control of Thalassemia Act, 2013, published as Act I of 2014. A January 2026 Assembly resolution calls for stronger screening enforcement and procedural links to marriage registration; that resolution is not itself a new amendment. Neither source establishes a nationwide requirement for HIV, hepatitis, fertility or genetic testing. Ask the relevant registrar and a qualified clinician about your specific case.

Evidence

Sources used

Legal / Official Source · 2014

Sindh Prevention and Control of Thalassemia Act, 2013

Sindh Code, Government of Sindh

Sindh Act I of 2014, titled the 2013 Act. Replaces the previously linked 2013 ordinance; do not treat provincial provisions as a uniform national test requirement.View source
Government Statement · 2026

Sindh Assembly resolution on thalassemia screening enforcement

Provincial Assembly of Sindh

Resolution passed 20 January 2026, notified 27 January 2026. Calls for stronger implementation of the 2013 Act; a resolution is not itself an enacted amendment.

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