ISLAMABAD: After a gap of few months the chairman of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, has spoken again on his most talked-about topics — marriage, divorce and women.

Talking to reporters after a CCI meeting here on Wedn­esday, Maulana Sherani said men did not need to take permission from the first wife or previous wives for another marriage. He said that “some people are creating anarchy and discontent under the garb of women’s rights”.

Also read: Three consecutive declarations for divorce should be punishable offence: CII

As per Islamic principles, he added, men could have up to four wives at one time.

Criticising NGOs, he said some organisations working for human rights were spreading unrest in the society by trying to distort the facts.

The CII meeting was called to welcome its new members.

Maulana Sheerani, who is also an MNA of JUI-F, said the government had been suggested to amend the marriage laws as, according to him, Shariat has clearly defined the provisions of up to four marriages for men. He claimed that these provisions were easy to understand and follow.

The CII had held a meeting over the topic of marriage laws in the country in October last year in which Maulana Sherani said that women could not raise objection over the second or subsequent marriages of their husbands.

In another previous meeting of the CII, Maulana Sherani had said that the minimum age of a girl for marriage could be as young as 13 years provided she attains puberty.

He said the parliament was bound to follow the suggestions made by the CII regarding formulation of laws.

All bills presented in the parliament should be vetted by the CII as according to the Constitution all laws of the country should be formulated in accordance with the Holy Quran and Sunnah, he added.

Published in Dawn March 25th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play