Man in Pak jailed for marrying without permission from first wife

A man in Pakistan on Wednesday was sentenced to six months in prison for getting married for a second time without taking permission from his first wife.

According to a Dawn report, Lahore resident Shahzad Saqib was also fined Rs. 200,000.

Judicial magistrate Jawad Naqvi, who announced the verdict, had been hearing a case filed by Saqib's wife Ayesha Bibi, who said that her husband had married for the second time without getting her permission.

"To get married without your first wife's permission is breaking the law," she had argued in her appeal.

She asked that her husband's second marriage be declared illegal by the court.

Dawn report adds that Saqib subsequently submitted surety bonds worth Rs. 50,000 to avoid immediate imprisonment. He also has recourse to challenge his conviction.

The Council of Islamic Ideology has often criticised the existing law, which requires written approval from the first wife if her husband wants to marry a second time.