Peshawar: The tabling of a bill to remove "certain existing disabilities" in disposition of property by Hindus in Pakistan's northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in the assembly was deferred on Monday.

Provincial Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid informed the House the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Hindu Disposition of Property Bill, 2014 would be presented in the assembly after removing reservations of the Minister for Religious Affairs Haji Habibur Rehman Khan.

The statement of object and reasons section in the bill says, "It is desirable to amend the Hindu Disposition Act, 1916, as the subject is devolved to the provinces in wake of 18th amendment of the constitution of the Islamic republic of Pakistan."

The preamble of the bill states: "Whereas it is expedient to remove certain existing disabilities in respect of the power of disposition of property by Hindus for the benefit of persons not in existence at the date of such disposition in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."

Under the section titled 'Application of this Act to the Khoja Community', it says that if the Khoja community in the province or any part thereof desires that the provisions of this Act should be extended to such community then the provincial government may, by notification in the official Gazette, do so.

It further states that the provisions of this Act would apply by substituting the word "Khojas" or "Khoja", for the word "Hindus" or "Hindu" wherever applicable."

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