Man beats up wife over refusing consent for second marriage

JARANWALA: A man beat up his wife for refusing to give her consent to his planned second marriage in Jaranwala on Thursday.

Ali Asghar, a resident of Chak No 101, sought his wife Nasreen’s permission for contracting second marriage as mandated by section 6 of the Muslim Family Law Ordinance 1961, which stipulates that a person intending to solemnise second marriage will have to seek first wife’s nod of approval.

Her refusal led to a heated argument between the two as the man let loose a stream of abuses. He went ape and inflicted torture on her.

According to the police, there were torture marks on the victim woman’s body, including her face and back.

Recounting the harrowing tale of her torture, she told the police that her husband would pile pressure on her to let him contract second marriage. Upon refusal, she added, he subjected her to torture after tying her with a rope.

It is pertinent to mention here that recently the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a landmark verdict ruled that a person intending to contract second marriage will have to seek mandatory approval of his first wife and the Arbitration Council.

An IHC bench gave this ruling on a petition filed by a woman who challenged a sessions court’s verdict that had exonerated her husband from the charge of solemnising second marriage without her permission.

The bench held that the Arbitration Council’s permission is mandatory even if existing wife or wives permit a man to contract another marriage.

“Contracting second marriage without the council’s consent will be a punishable act,” it ruled.