Pakistani woman allowed to marry prisoner on death row

LAHORE - The High Court in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore has allowed a woman to marry a prisoner, who has been awarded death sentence but challenged his conviction in the Supreme Court.

Laiba Sehar had moved the court seeking permission to marry her fiance Atiq-ur-Rahman, who was sentenced to death in a case of kidnapping for ransom in 2002.

The High Court Wednesday asked the jail authorities to make arrangements for the wedding and said that the ceremony must be held in the office of the prison chief, Xinhua reported.

Laiba Sehar in her application had complained that her request for the marriage with her 28-year-old fiance was turned down by the prison officials.

Jail authorities told the court that there is no section in prison regulations to allow a prisoner to get married.

Syed Mazhar Hussain, the applicant’s lawyer, argued that marriage is a fundamental right of everyone and no citizen could be deprived of the right.

He informed the court that the convict has moved the Supreme Court against his conviction and his application was pending in the apex court.

Earlier this week, government of southern Sindh province allowed wives of prisoners to stay overnight with their spouses in jails once in a month.