Pakistan, March 1 -- Marriage is a legally recognized and socially accepted partnership governed by laws, norms, conventions, beliefs, and attitudes that specify the partners' rights and obligations. It is a bond formed based on love, respect, and mutual consent. The awful reality of forced marriages, in which people are pushed into marriages against their choice, stands in sharp contrast to this ideal.

The act of marrying someone without their complete and free consent, or forced marriage, is still an issue with severe consequences. In addition to being a basic violation of people's right to choose their own destiny, forced marriage is in direct opposition to the core principles of the major religions in the world. Respect, individual ,...