ISLAMABAD: Dilshad Bibi, a woman who moved the court eight years ago against her husband for marrying for a second time, said on Tuesday the Islamabad High Court’s recent decision recommending punishment if male spouses did not get permission to remarry from an arbitration council as well as the first wife was a “big win” for women.
In a ruling on Monday, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah said a man would be punished if he entered into a second marriage unless it was approved by a reconciliation council and his wife.
“It [the verdict] is a big win for me and all women who have been fighting against patriarchy and injustices in society,” Bibi told Arab News. “I never lost hope and faith in our justice system, and finally won the case after eight years of long struggle.”
Bibi and husband Liaqat Ali Meer tied the knot in May 2011. Meer remarried in January 2013 without seeking permission from his first wife or a reconciliation council whose permission is binding under Muslim family law in Pakistan.
Subsequently Bibi moved a local court against her husband which sentenced him to one month in prison and a fine of Rs5,000 ($32). The punishment was overturned by an appellate court in February 2017, after which Bibi went to the IHC.
On Monday, the IHC overturned the verdict that acquitted Bibi’s husband. Meer will now have to serve his term and pay the fine, and an appellate court will reexamine whether additional punishment is required.
“During the subsistence of an existing marriage, no man shall contract another marriage except with the previous permission in writing of the Arbitration Council,” the court ruled in a 12-page verdict, quoting a section of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 related to polygamy.
According to Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015, the federal government is responsible for establishing an “arbitration council” for the amicable settlement of disputes in a locality. The council comprises a panel of seven members, including at least one woman, who are nominated for a term of five years.
With Monday’s verdict, the court had not banned second marriage, Bibi’s lawyer Ali Hussain Bhatti said, but made it “compulsory for men to follow a due process before contracting a second marriage.”
“This is still a historic verdict and will help protect the rights of women,” he told Arab News.
Bibi said the IHC’s verdict would now serve as a precedent for future court cases and “help women get justice and equal rights.”
Having multiple wives is common in about a quarter of the world’s nations, predominantly conservative male-dominated communities in Africa and Muslim-majority countries where it is part of traditional or religious customs.
But campaigners say most polygamous marriages fuel poverty — with husbands neglecting one family over another — leaving thousands of women and children impoverished and easy prey for exploitation.
In Pakistan, polygamy is not widespread and is mostly common in rural areas in families without a male heir or in cases when men fell in love with another woman.
Rights campaigner Farzana Bari said Monday’s verdict would “encourage more women to fight for their rights and approach courts for justice in case of any unfair treatment by their husbands.”
Dr. Qibla Ayaz, chairman of Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a body that advises the government on the compatibility of laws with Islam, said Pakistani law was in contradiction with Sharia law which did not bind a man to seek permission from his first wife to contract a second marriage.
“If a man does not seek permission from his wife and the conciliation council before remarrying, he will be punished under the law of the land, but his second marriage will still remain valid,” Ayaz told Arab News, “Under Sharia law, there is no need to seek permission of the first wife.”
Punishment unless first wife and arbitration body approve second marriage, Pakistan court rules
Punishment unless first wife and arbitration body approve second marriage, Pakistan court rules
- Verdict a “big win” for me and all women fighting against patriarchy, petitioner Dilshad Bibi says
- Council of Islamic Ideology Chairman says no need to seek permission under Sharia law
Pakistan Navy seizes drugs worth $1 million at Arabian Sea in counter-narcotics operation
- “Large cache of narcotics” were being transported via sea to international destinations, says Pakistan Navy
- Pakistan’s navy frequently carries out anti-narcotics seizure operations in the country’s territorial waters
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Navy ship seized drugs worth $1 million during a counter-narcotics operation at the Arabian Sea, the navy’s media wing said on Wednesday, vowing to disrupt illegal marine activities to maintain law and order.
Pakistan Navy, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, frequently carries out such narcotics seizure operations in the country’s territorial waters.
PNS MOAWIN, supported by Pakistan Navy’s air assets, successfully intercepted a Dhow during an operation at the North Arabian sea, the navy said. It conducted boarding operations and seized the narcotics, adding that the contraband was stowed in a hidden compartment of the vessel.
“Pakistan Navy Ship MOAWIN seized a large cache of narcotics during a counter-narcotics operation in North Arabian Sea,” it said. “The seized narcotics are estimated to be worth approximately USD 1 million in international market.”
Without mentioning the quantity of the drugs seized, the navy said that the narcotics were being transported via sea to international destinations.
“The successful execution of this anti-narcotics operation demonstrates Pakistan Navy’s vigilance, professionalism and resolve to deter and disrupt all illegal activities, ensuring good order at sea,” the navy said.
In October, Pakistan’s navy seized 1.3 tons of narcotics valued at approximately $26 million during a targeted operation. In June, it seized 389 kilograms of highly valuable drugs during an anti-narcotics operation in the Arabian Sea.
Last year in May, the navy also seized over 4,000 kilograms of hashish worth over $65 million with the help of the country’s Anti-Narcotics Force.
Pakistan’s stock market gained 87% during 2024 with transport, pharmaceuticals top-performing sectors — report
- Analysts attribute stock market’s strong performance to sharp rate cuts, strengthening rupee and disbursement of IMF loan
- Pakistan’s central bank slashed key policy rate by 200 basis points to 13% on Dec. 16, making it fifth straight reduction since June
ISLAMABAD: The KSE-100 index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) recorded an impressive 85% gain in Pakistani rupees and 87% in US dollars during 2024, a report by the country’s top brokerage house said this week, listing pharmaceuticals, jute and transport among the top-performing sectors of the market.
Pakistan’s stock market has enjoyed gains and bullish trends since the past two months. Financial analysts have attributed the stock market’s bullish trend to drastic cuts in key policy rate, strengthening of the rupee and economic gains triggered by Islamabad signing a $7 billion loan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year.
Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points to 13% on Dec. 16, making it the fifth straight reduction since June, as the country keeps up efforts to revive a sluggish economy with inflation on the decline as per official figures.
According to a yearly market review by Topline Securities on Tuesday, the market capitalization of companies listed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) increased by 61% to reach Rs14.6 trillion this year.
“Benchmark KSE 100 Index jumped 85% in PKR (87% in USD) in 2024, with only one trading session left,” the report said. “Market value (market capitalization) of listed companies at PSX also increased by 61% to reach Rs14.6trn.”
The report pointed out that pharmaceuticals, jute and transport were the best performing sectors in 2024 as their market cap increased by 198%, 182% and 130% respectively. On the other hand, chemicals, modarabas, and textile weaving sectors remained the worst performing sectors that posted declines of 54%, 33% and 2%, respectively in 2024.
Raza Jafri, the head of equity at Intermarket Securities, told Arab News that the gains enjoyed by the PSX made it one of the “best-performing equity markets in the world.”
He highlighted that the Pakistan stock market’s gains outpaced those of the Morgan Stanley Capital International Emerging Markets Index and the Morgan Stanley Capital International Frontier Markets Index, which gained only around five percent in 2024.
“Macro stabilization, which reflected in sharp interest rate cuts and a stable Pakistani rupee, enabled equity market valuations in Pakistan to bounce back from record lows,” Jafri told Arab News on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Arif Habib Commodities CEO Ahsan Mehanti said the PSX outperformed other stock markets due to the central bank’s key policy rate, robust economic indicators and the successful disbursement of the new IMF program.
“Government bond yields fell by over an unprecedented 1100bps during the year inviting institutional interest in equities,” he said. “Fall in global crude oil prices reduced import bill by up to $5 billion and helped CPI inflation to fall below five percent resulting in current account surplus and rupee stability.”
According to Topline Securities, the best-performing stocks in Pakistan were GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan (GLAXO), which recorded a 385% increase; Air Link Communication (AIRLINK), which gained 268%; Sazgar Engineering (SAZEW), which gained 252 percent; Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), which rose 246 percent; and Mari Petroleum Company (MARI), which gained 220 percent.
It added that the top performers among all listed stocks in 2024 were Ali Asghar Textile Mills (AATM), which gained 2,774%; Khalid Siraj Textile Mills (KSTM), which rose by 1,156%, Thatta Cement Company (THCCL), whose share price soared by 1,027%; and Dewan Automotive Engineering (DWAE), which surged by 1,073%.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his happiness over the Pakistani stock market’s performance in a post on social media platform X.
“Alhamdolilah! What great news to end the year on!” he wrote on Wednesday.
Pakistani province vows to enforce writ in Karachi after police’s clash with sit-in protesters
- Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen party is leading sit-in protests in Karachi to protest violence in northwestern Kurram district
- Karachi police say eight cops wounded during Tuesday’s clashes, out of which three were injured due to protesters’ firing
KARACHI: The home minister of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Wednesday warned members of a religio-political party of stern action if they did not move their sit-in protests from Karachi’s busy locations to designated spots, a day after law enforcers clashed with the demonstrators in the port city.
Karachi police and the paramilitary Rangers force cracked down on protesters belonging to the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) party on Tuesday morning, using tear gas to disperse them from the city’s busy Numaish Chowrangi, Malir and other locations. Demonstrators pelted the law enforcers with stones in response and chanted slogans against them.
The MWM has been leading sit-in protests at over 10 locations in Karachi since last week to protest violence in the northwestern Kurram district. With a population of around 600,000, Kurram has been plagued by tribal and sectarian violence for decades. A devastating ambush on a convoy of Shias on Nov. 21 in which gunmen killed 52 people, gave rise to sectarian clashes in the area that have since then claimed the lives of at least 136 people.
Karachi police has charged protesters under the country’s anti-terror law, saying that over 150 protesters fired directly at police officers with the intention to kill during Tuesday’s clashes in the city’s Malir district. Two police constables, Zaeem Abbas and Ayaz Gul, were injured in the gunfire, as per the police complaint. All in all, police said eight cops were injured during the clashes out of which three were injured due to firing by protesters.
“It is not possible for us to let the city fall victim to violence,” Sindh Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar told reporters at a news conference. “It’s not possible for us to not protect the lives and property of citizens while sitting idle,” he added.
He said the government was ready for talks with protesters but also warned that it would enforce its writ in the city.
“Against any illegal actions, the government will stand firm, the police will do its job, the Rangers will do their job and law enforcement agencies will carry out their responsibilities,” the minister said.
He said the Sindh government had extended protesters the offer to move their protests to designated spots across the city.
“We will stand with you, but this is not the way for our main Saddar area to be closed, for Shahra-e-Faisal to be closed, for the Ancholi area to be closed, for the Malir area to be closed, and to turn the city into a battlefield,” he said, referring to Karachi’s areas where the MWM is holding protests.
“You cannot do this. We will not compromise on this under any circumstances.”
Reiterating his offer of negotiations, Lanjar said Karachi’s additional Inspector-general of police and the city’s commissioner will hold talks with MWM since Sindh’s senior ministers had already met representatives of the party.
Meanwhile, senior MWM leader Allama Baqir Hussain Zaidi announced that the party’s protests in Karachi will continue.
“The ongoing sit-ins will continue wherever they are being held and alternative routes will remain open,” Zaidi said in a video message. “The community is urged to participate in the sit-ins in an organized manner and to consider it both a personal and religious obligation to join tomorrow evening’s protest gathering.”
He announced that the group will hold a protest rally on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. at Numaish Chowrangi, stressing that it will be a peaceful one.
A grand jirga — a traditional council of political and tribal elders — has been attempting to mediate between the rival factions in Kurram to enforce peace.
Pakistan, India exchange list of nuclear facilities
- India and Pakistan are signatories to an agreement that bars them from attacking each other’s nuclear facilities
- Pakistan hands over list of nuclear facilities to Indian High Commission representative in Islamabad, says state media
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan exchanged lists of their nuclear assets on Wednesday as part of a bilateral pact that prohibits them from attacking each other’s nuclear facilities, state-run media reported.
The ‘Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities’ between the two countries was signed in December 1988. It requires that both sides inform each other of their nuclear installations and facilities on Jan. 1 each year. The two countries have been exchanging the lists since 1992.
“Accordingly, the list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Accordingly, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs handed over the list of India’s nuclear installations and facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought two of three wars after independence from British rule in 1947 over the disputed former princely state of Kashmir. The first war was fought in 1947, the second in 1965, and a third, largely over what became Bangladesh, in 1971.
Both countries claim the disputed territory in full but control only parts of it. Tensions between the two countries escalated last month when India’s top court upheld a 2019 decision by New Delhi to scrap Indian-administered Kashmir’s special status.
India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974, with Pakistan carrying out its first test in 1988.
Pakistan’s annual inflation slowed to 4.1% in December
- Annual inflation already slowed to 4.9% in November, largely due to high base a year earlier
- Inflation slowed due to stable currency, lower global commodity prices, says financial analyst
KARACHI: Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate slowed to 4.1% year on year in December, the statistics bureau said on Wednesday, the lowest in more than 6-1/2 years.
The South Asian country is navigating a challenging economic recovery path buttressed by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) granted in September.
Consumer prices in December rose 0.1% from the month before, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
In its monthly report released last week, the finance ministry said that the annual inflation rate was expected to hold in the range of 4-5% in the final month of the year.
Annual inflation had already slowed to 4.9% in November, largely due to a high base a year earlier, coming in below the government’s forecast and significantly lower than a multi-decade high of around 40 percent in May 2023.
“Inflation has come down on the back of stable currency, lower global commodity prices and improved supply chain,” said Samiullah Tariq, head of research and development at Pak Kuwait Investment Company.
Pakistan’s central bank previously targeted 5-7% inflation in the medium term but its head has said the level is now in sight within the next 12 months.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points to 13% in December, the fifth straight reduction since June, to bring cumulative rate cuts for 2024 to 900 basis points and making it one of the most aggressive emerging market central banks in the current easing cycle.
Inflation during the first half of the current fiscal year to end-June 2025 has averaged 7.22% compared to 28.79% in the year-earlier period.
