ASHGABAT: Reclusive Turkmenistan appeared to be cracking down on polygamous relationships on Tues­day, with the parliament issuing new legislation agai­nst the practice in the majority-Muslim ex-Soviet republic.

Polygamy is already formally banned and punishable by up to two years of corrective labour in ex-Soviet Turkmenistan.

But nevertheless it has a degree of social acceptability and was traditionally pra­c­tised before the Soviet era.

A new amendment to the family code passed by parliament and published in the state newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan on Tuesday seemed aimed at clearing up any ambiguity.

It stated that polygamy “refers to cohabitation with two or more women at the same time” and stressed that this was “not permitted” in the republic.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2018