The Muslim Women's Forum, a body fighting for the rights of women belonging to the minority community, has demanded abolition of verbal triple talaq, saying: "Its arbitrariness poses a constant threat".

Reporting on it, PTI said that the forum had presented a report to the Muslims Personal Law Board stating: "Listening to the testimonies of women, it was felt that more than anything else, the practice of triple talaq has been anathema to them."

"The Muslim community should itself declare, that this form of talaq is unacceptable to them," the Muslim forum report said.

The forum, which held its national colloquium recently, said the "procedure as stipulated in the Quran should be instituted for obtaining talaq, such as proper cause should be shown and the matter should be referred for arbitration". The colloquium also came out with recommendations for the betterment of Muslim women.

PTI also said that the forum demanded standard nikahnama and said: "It should contain clauses to protect the rights of women, such as the right to talaq-e-tafwiz (delegated right of divorce), a realistic amount of mehr, a well-defined mode of payment and conditions governing maintenance". Other recommendations put forward by the forum included compulsory registration of marriage and divorce, codification of Muslim Personal Law and right to matrimonial property. "Just as all births and deaths are registered, so should all nikahs. This should be done within a short specified period of, say, 30 days. The power to register should be vested in a state authority. Penalties should be specified for the violation of this provision," the report said.

The report identified lack of education and discriminatory treatment of women as two major reasons for the widespread "misery among masses of underprivileged Muslim woman". It also emphasised the need to demand for change in the interpretation of personal laws concerning women.

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