Pakistan, Oct. 8 -- The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a marriage could be dissolved on grounds of shiqaq (marital discord) under a residuary provision of the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 even when cruelty was not proven.

The residuary provision of the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 2(ix), explains the grounds on which a woman can obtain a decree for the dissolution of her marriage.

In its judgement, the SC stated: "A marriage may be dissolved by a court, but neither spouse should be judicially deprived of a lawful right, nor judicially burdened with a stigma, without the foundation of law and evidence."

The judgement was issued by a five-member bench, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed and comprising Justices Na...