AJK PM calls for legislation to ban cousin marriages

MUZAFFARABAD: Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq has announced that his government is working towards introducing legislation to ban cousin marriages due to serious health concerns.

Speaking on the floor of the AJK legislative assembly, the premier revealed that Bahria University has developed a low-cost software application that can help identify genetic issues through a simple blood test.

He said the app, which costs only Rs 100 to 200, could help inform couples, especially cousins of any genetic risks before their marriage.

“This is about saving future generations from life-long diseases,” PM Anwar ul Haq said, adding, “I assure the house that I will speak to the Law Minister to formally propose this legislation.”

The Prime Minister confirmed that the government has already started work on the first phase of this initiative.

He stressed that due to the affordability of this technology it can be practically implemented in Azad Kashmir and save the future generations from genetic diseases.

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Experts and health officials have long linked cousin marriages to genetic disorders.

The legislation, once drafted and approved, would make Azad Kashmir one of the first regions in Pakistan to take concrete legal steps against cousin marriages on medical grounds.

EXPERTS TAKE ON COUSIN MARRIAGES

Cousin marriages are facing growing criticism, especially from medical professionals who highlight the increased health risks for children born to first cousins.

Doctors warn that these children have a higher chance of developing genetic disorders—particularly recessive conditions like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease.

As per Gregor Mendel’s genetic theory, if both parents carry a faulty recessive gene, there’s a 25 per cent chance their child will inherit the disorder. Since cousins are more likely to share the same genes, the risk is greater when they marry.

Children of first cousins face a six per cent risk of inheriting a recessive condition, compared to three per cent in the general population.