Christian man jailed for contracting second marriage

A Karachi court on Monday handed down nine-year imprisonment to a Christian man for contracting a second marriage in violation of the Christian Marriage Act.

This is said to be the first such punishment awarded by any court under the Christian marriage law in Sindh.

A judicial magistrate (East) sentenced Joshua Ilyas to nine years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of Rs25,000.

The Mehmoodabad police lodged a case against the accused on the complaint of his first wife.

In her complaint, she stated that the accused married her one and a half years back. He sent her to Dubai while contracted a second marriage in violation of the Christian Marriage Act, she added.

The complainant said that she found out about his second marriage upon her return to the country.

The magistrate announced his verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.

The lawyer, representing the woman complainant, said that this was the first such punishment handed down to a person under the Christian marriage law in the province.

According to the law, Christians are banned from practising polygamy and it is a punishable crime if the wife/husband is alive.