ISLAMABAD: The Islamic Ideological Council (IIC) has declared it unnecessary to seek permission from the first wife for a second marriage.
The IIC, in this regard, submitted its 2013-2014 report to the Senate Law and Justice Committee. Six years ago, in 2014, the Islamic Ideological Council proposed changes to Pakistani law that prohibits not only an early marriage but also a Muslim man must obtain permission from his first wife to remarry.
Earlier in 2014, the IIC declared the ban on early marriage un-Islamic. The council said that underage marriage is not forbidden under Islamic teachings.
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On the issue of second marriages, the council said that a husband does not need permission from his first wife before marrying another woman.
The laws relating to marriage and divorce in Pakistan are called the Muslim Family Law, which was enacted in 1961 in the form of an ordinance. According to the law, a man must get permission from his first wife to remarry.
Under Pakistani law, anyone wishing to remarry must notify his or her current spouse in writing. According to Pakistani law, the minimum age for marriage is 16 for women and 18 for men.
According to the Islamic Ideological Council, no age can be set for marriage, but puberty is required for leave. Under Pakistan’s 2015 Family Law, it is a punishable offense for a man to remarry without the consent of his first wife.
Under the law, in 2017, Judicial Magistrate Ali Jawad Naqvi in a Lahore sub-court sentenced a man to a fine of Rs 200,000 and six months imprisonment for remarrying without the consent of his first wife.
It should be noted that the Islamic Ideological Council is a constitutional body of Pakistan that is authorized to advise Parliament on changes to laws that it does not consider to be compatible with Islamic teachings.
