Upholding the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Thursday, while declaring nikah between a Christian girl, who had converted to Islam, with a Muslim youth valid, rejected the application filed against their marriage, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
In its written verdict, the FCC said that Muslim men had been allowed by Islamic Shariah to marry the women believing in divine scriptures, and that the act of marrying an underage girl or a boy was punishable under the Child Marriage Act, 1929, but it did not mean that the marriage had dissolved.
The court said that Maria Bibi, a resident of Lahore, had embraced Islam before contracting marriage with Shehryar. “There exists a declaration in this regard,” the court added.
It was also stated in the verdict that the FCC, not the Supreme Court (SC), was the final forum for the interpretation of the constitution, and that all courts, including the SC, were bound to follow the orders of the FCC. “The FCC is not bound to implement the rules framed by the apex court,” read the verdict.
Maria’s father got registered an FIR that his daughter had been kidnapped.
Maria, on the other hand, gave a statement in the court that she had married Shehryar of her free will and that she had not been kidnapped.
The girl’s father had filed a writ of habeas corpus in which he stated that his child was underage.
Reporter: Amanat Gishkori