, in all the four provinces are arranged. The groom's relatives visit the girls house and offer the proposal. If the proposal is accepted the "mangni" takes place, it is known as Sangoabandhi or engagement. Mangnis of Punjab and the Frontier are Mangnoo of Sind. When the marriage date is fixed, the groom, with friends and relatives, goes to the house of the bride where the Nikah is performed and the dower money fixed. Nikah is performed by Nikah Registrar and is recorded on a legal Performa singed by both the parties. This is followed by Walima. In Sindh the groom stays in the brides house for a night where as in other provinces, he leaves with the "Doli" of the bride after the Nikah. It is the family structure and lack of education that has lead to increased fertility rates.Fertility RatesPakistan has shown strong resistance to change when it comes to birth rates. During the early 1960s a national policy was introduced to attempt to curtail this growing problem. Known as the Family Planning Service This program however has had little or no affect whatsoever on the current birth rate in Pakistan. Current indicators point that only 18% of all Pakistan women are using contraceptive methods. Recognizing the need to provide better services, the Family Planning Association of Pakistan developed the concept of the Family Health Hospital, for women and their families providing primary reproductive health care and referral to specialized services. There have been eleven of these family health hospitals. They provide services for everyone within a 50 Km region. It was believed women would benefit directly if these services were provided and the overall welfare of the family would also improve. Although effective in some areas this program for the most part has been plagued with corruption, mismanagement and in general offering poor services to its cliental. The average women in continues to be approximately five births per woman. It has onl...
