Taking on a second wife for the sake of a child is an act of cruelty: Sher Afzal Marwat

In a recent interview with host Nadir Ali, lawyer and politician Sher Afzal Marwat revealed how he refused to take on a second wife just for the sake of producing a son, as was expected of him by his family.

“In 2007, my wife told me I should marry again,” he began. “My son had not been born at the time, and we had already been married for about 5 or 6 years. My father was still alive back then, and taking on a second wife [to have a son] was the norm [in our family]."

However, Marwat recalled that after devoting some time mulling over the matter, he was compelled to tell his wife that he could not go through with it. “I thought about it for some time, and then told her that I couldn’t put her through such pain,” he said.

In a show of standing up for women, Marwat explained the reason behind his unconventional decision in his traditional family setup. “My wife was very serious when she suggested I get a second wife [who could bear me a son], but I don’t think you should ever do that to a woman.”

Marwat added that to commit to such an act would be deeply cruel to any woman who had left everything behind just to be with her husband and his family. “I couldn’t bring another woman into our lives just to have a child,” he stated. “Like everyone else, a woman has just one life. She has basically burned everything in her life just to start a new life with you.”

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