Lahore man fined, jailed over second marriage without first wife’s permission
LAHORE – A family court has sentenced a resident of Lahore to seven months in prison, and slapped a fine of half a million rupees for getting hitched for second time without taking permission from his first wife.
Judge Adnan Liaqat of family court stated that accused Muhammad Aurangzeb Khan contracted second marriage sans permission of first wife, in violation of Section 6(5) of the Muslim Family Law Ordinance.
The judge stressed that written permission from the first wife is crucial before tying the knot for the second time.
Khan’s first wife Zona Nasar moved court against his husband who married with another woman without permission from his first wife.
In Pakistan, any man who contracts second marriage, Polygamy practice, without permission of first wife or the arbitration council can face imprisonment for up to one year and a fine of up to Rs500,000.
The first wife holds right to seek maintenance for herself and her children from her husband through the union council.
Punishment for polygamy is less severe in other countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran where nationals can marry up to four wives without penalty. In Iran, the maximum number of wives is two.
In Pakistan, there have been debate for the government to change the law on polygamy. Some opine that law is unfair to men and it violates their right to freedom of religion while others called polygamy outdated practice that should be banned.