Hyderabad, April 23: Though there is no limitation regarding age of spouse for marriage in Islamic sharia nor there is any restriction regarding the age difference between the spouses, yet some communal minded bureaucrats take undue interest in internal affairs of Muslims.
Complaints are received that officials of the General Administration Department of secretariat are blatantly refusing to verify the marriage certificates issued by Waqf Board in which the age difference of the spouses are more than 10 years. When the applicants seek clarification they are not told anything in this regard.
As far as the registration of nikah is concerned the Waqf Board keeps all the records and issues marriage/divorce certificates. However most of the embassies make it obligatory to produce marriage certificate with the condition that it should be verified by any department of state government if it is issued by waqf board or any qazi. In the state this job is done by the General Administration Department.
Till now GAD used to verify the certificates but now the complaints are received that the department refuses to verify those certificates in which the age difference of the spouses are more than 10 years. When enquired they say that as per government directions they are unauthorised to verify those certificates in which spouses have an age difference of more than 10 years.
Waqf board chairman Mr. Syed Ghulam Afzal Biabani assured that he would get details from Darul qaza in this regard and would also meet chief minister Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy and bring the matter to his notice.
Siasat news