KARACHI: The Supreme Court was informed on Wednesday that Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro had contracted a “verbal” marriage in 2007.

According to media reports, Farooq H. Naek contended before a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Main Saqib Nisar hearing an appeal by Mr Khuhro against his disqualification that Mr Khuhro had married for the third time in 2007 but it was a “verbal” marriage and the former speaker of Sindh Assembly had also divorced her “verbally” the same year.

The chief justice observed that there was no provision in law for the verbal marriage and it was mandatory to register the wedlock.

He asked Mr Naek whether the appellant had sought permission from his first two wives before contracting the third marriage and also warned that Mr Khuhro risked getting booked in a case if he had not obtained the permission and not registered the marriage.

The counsel said that Mr Khuhro, who had been disqualified from contesting election, faced another allegation that he had concealed a daughter.

When the CJP asked the lawyer whether Mr Khuhro was present in the courtroom, he replied in the negative but said his former third wife had submitted an affidavit in the court.

Referring to a ruling of the apex court, the chief justice observed that there was no legal standing of a verbal marriage and the court would examine the laws and previous rulings in this matter.

Mr Khuhro had filed nomination papers for PS-11 (Larkana) but the returning officer concerned rejected his papers for concealing assets and his third wife.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018