Wife's consent for man's second marriage not needed
Mar 15 BTI
Pakistan's constitutional body which gives legal advice to the
government on religious issues has said a man does not need his wife's
consent for a second marriage, prompting angry reactions on social
media.
The Council of Islamic Ideology, known as CII, said the Pakistani
laws regarding second marriage of a man in the presence of first wife
were against religious principles.Sharia allows men to have more than
one wife and we demanded that the government should amend the law,"
Council's chairman Maulana Mohammad Khan Sheerani told reporters
yesterday after a meeting on the issue.
Sheerani said seeking permission from one's wife before entering into
another marriage is not necessary.The council met in Islamabad and
analysed the existing family laws in Pakistan.Sheerani said Islamic
Sharia law does not require permission from a wife before a man enters
into another marriage, while according to the Muslim Family Law 1961,
permission from any existing wives is mandatory.He said this was
contrary to Islamic Sharia law.We urge the government to formulate
Sharia-compliant laws related to nikah, divorce, adulthood and 'will',"
Sheerani said.The move by the CII was slammed across social media with
even men criticizing the ruling.
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