Polygamy in Pakistan is legally permissible according to the law of 1961, but restricted. Only males adhering to the Islamic faith are legally allowed to enter into polygamous unions, with a maximum of four wives at one time. Legally, only Muslim citizens are allowed to enter Polygamous marriage. However it is illegal for Hindus as per the Hindu marriage law. The extent to which polygamy exists in Pakistan is contested, but can be said to be very low. According to Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, a professor of law at Warwick Law School writes that while polygamy is a cultural tradition, most families do not accept the second wife as a part of the family. On the other hand, Shirkat Gah, a Pakistani women's rights organisation, found that polygyny is "common". However, a representative of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says that polygamy is rare, except within communities in Sindh, Southern Punjab or religious fundamentalists. A gender studies consultant, however, writes that it is also found within the urban elite of Pakistan because they can afford to keep and maintain more than one wife and their children. That said, it is still considered to be low in number. A man who wishes to remarry is required to obtain the legal consent of each of their wives who they are already married to, and show the capability to properly take care of all of them. Pakistani women can add a clause in their Muslim marriage contracts forbidding polygamy. There have been calls to prohibit or criminalize the practice by some in Pakistan, and there have also been some who have shown support of it. Notable Legal Action In 2017, a Lahore lower court ruled against a man who remarried without obtaining permission from his first wife. He was sentenced a six-month jail term and a fine of Rs. 2,00,000. The chair of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women, Fauzia Viqar applauded the move, saying that it would help wronged women to be empowered to take legal action. See also Marriage in Pakistan Divorce in Pakistan Women related laws in Pakistan References Family law in Pakistan Marriage, unions and partnerships in Pakistan Pakistan Women's rights in Pakistan