LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday upheld a three-month jail sentence and a fine of Rs. 1 million imposed on a man for marrying a second time without obtaining consent from his first wife.
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, who led the bench, dismissed the convict’s appeal and questioned the justification provided by his lawyer. She asked whether a wife’s aging could be considered a valid reason for a husband to remarry, adding, “If women also start doing this, what will happen to society?”
The court emphasized that personal reasoning or excuses cannot bypass the legal requirement to secure prior consent before contracting a second marriage. The convict’s lawyer informed the court that the first marriage occurred in 1999, with the second taking place in 2017, and that his client had filed a claim for reconciliation with his first wife. However, the bench found the lawyer’s explanation unclear regarding whether this attempt at reconciliation occurred before or after the second marriage.
Upon reviewing the case, the court found no substantial grounds to challenge the original verdict and thus upheld the three-month imprisonment along with the Rs. 1 million fine.
