ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Islamic advisory body has requested the government to make “triple talaq” – or instant divorce – among Muslims a punishable offence to address the “widespread social issue” and protect family system, women and children from the menace.
The practice allows a husband to divorce his wife by repeating the word “talaq” – or divorce – three times in any form, including email or text message. Triple talaq is not mentioned in Islamic law or the Quran, even though the practice has existed among Muslims for decades.
“This has become a widespread social issue in Pakistan and has been ruining the lives of women and children,” Dr. Qibla Ayaz, chairperson of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), told Arab News on Saturday. “We want Parliament to make the practice a criminal offence since it will discourage the practice.”
The council is the country’s constitutional body responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues to the government, though its recommendations are non-binding.
Last year, it unanimously declared triple talaq a punishable offence, though it is yet to decide an appropriate punishment in such cases and convince the legislature to enact a law on the issue.
In a meeting in the Parliament House on Thursday, Ayaz asked the country’s law minister, Dr. Farogh Naseem, to initiate an awareness campaign against triple talaq and list some of its adverse social effects on the nikah-nama – or Islamic marriage contract – document.
“We are ready to legislate on the issue if you [the Council of Islamic Ideology] can cite any Islamic reference from history to criminalize triple talaq and suggest minimum punishment for it,” the law minister reportedly told the CII chairperson.
Ayaz said if the law ministry “agrees in principle” with his institution on the issue, the matter of punishment could be decided in consultation with lawmakers and Islamic scholars.
“It is a matter of utmost importance and needs to be addressed as early as possible,” he added. “In case of triple talaq, there is no room for reconciliation, and this can result in negative consequences for women and children.”
Islamic scholars belonging to different schools of thought say the Quran clearly spells out how a man should divorce his life partner. The practice has to be spread over three months, allowing a couple some time to reflect and move toward reconciliation.
Some Muslim countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh have already banned the practice. India’s Parliament in July approved a law to make the practice a criminal offence.
Men who breach the law can be jailed for up to three years.
Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology recommends criminalizing Muslim instant divorce
Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology recommends criminalizing Muslim instant divorce
- The country’s law ministry says it is ready to legislate if the advisory body sites Islamic references from history to ban the practice
- ‘Triple talaq’ is prohibited in Egypt, UAE, India and Bangladesh
Pakistan reviews austerity measures amid Middle East crisis, urges strict nationwide implementation
- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar chairs review meeting of austerity steps
- Officials briefed on salary cuts, school closures, four‑day week, petrol conservation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Wednesday assessed progress on a sweeping set of austerity measures introduced to mitigate the country’s economic strain from sharply rising global oil prices and supply disruptions linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week announced a series of austerity steps, including a four‑day work week for government offices, requiring 50 percent of staff to work from home, cutting fuel allowances for official vehicles by half, grounding up to 60 percent of the government fleet and closing all schools for two weeks to conserve fuel amid the global oil crisis.
The measures were unveiled in response to global oil market volatility triggered by the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which has disrupted supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and pushed crude prices sharply higher, straining Pakistan’s heavily import‑dependent energy sector.
“The meeting stressed the importance of strict and transparent adherence to the austerity measures, promoting fiscal responsibility and prudent use of public resources,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said in a statement.
He was chairing a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures, constituted under the directions of the PM, bringing together federal and provincial officials to review execution of the broad cost‑cutting plan.
Dar emphasized the government’s commitment to enforcing the PM’s austerity steps nationwide. The committee’s review also covered reductions in departmental expenditure, deductions from salaries of senior officials earning over Rs. 300,000 ($1,120), and coordination with provincial administrations to ensure uniform implementation of the plan.
Participants at the meeting reiterated that all ministries and divisions must continue strict monitoring and reporting, with transparent oversight mechanisms, as Pakistan navigates the economic pressures from the prolonged Middle East crisis and its fallout on global energy and trade markets.
