LAHORE - The interior ministry and Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) have been directed by the Lahore High Court to explain compulsion on Rangers officials to get departmental permission for solemnising second marriage.
Justice Ayesha A Malik of the Lahore High Court (LHC) passed the order on a petition filed by Waqar Azim Asif and adjourned further hearing until April 19, 2016.
Appearing in person, Mr Waqar himself argued before the court. He told the judge that his department had made a policy that no official can marry a woman until he gets permission from the department.
He said he wanted to do second marriage but as soon as his department officials came to know about it, they barred him from it saying that departmental permission is compulsory besides the first wife’s permission for doing second marriage.
He told the judge that the compulsion of seeking permission from department was not only against the Constitution of Pakistan but also against the teachings of Islam. Calling it discouraging and contrary to the law, the petitioner prayed the court to set aside this policy.
After hearing initial arguments of the petitioner, Justice Ayesha A Malik directed Deputy Attorney General Zakria Sheikh, who was also present in the court, to seek instructions from the interior ministry and Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) in this regard.
Talking to The Nation, Punjab Rangers Spokesman Major Ijaz said he was unaware about such restriction on the Rangers officials. However, he said, a trainee was not permitted to do marriage during the training.
Moreover, he said, no Rangers official can marry a foreign national without departmental permission because of the sensitivity of the job as Rangers is a security force.
Mr Ijaz claimed that petitioner Waqar Azim was discharged from the service but he was unaware about the nature of charges leveled against him. “It is possible that he (Waqar) was trying to avert conviction by the Court of inquiry through filing such petition,” said Major Ijaz said.