^ That's exactly what I felt, Niksik. When I read that he threatened his first wife with divorce just because he fell in love, I felt disgusted and I thought "Man, this guy is unstable."
How can one so easily threaten their first wife with divorce? I mean you have HISTORY with your first wife and possibly children as well. She's been through all your ups and down and supported you through the good times and bad times. It's only natural for her to be hurt at the thought of her husband marrying again.
I don't think Islam requires that a man get his first wife's permission to marry a second wife. If he was that IN LOVE with this woman, he could have simply married her WITHOUT the threat of divorce to his first wife. Sheesh. I'm surprised that a woman like Mukhtar Mai who has been so brave and who has accomplished so much, would be naieve enough not to see that this guy is not so frickin stable!
It doesn't require first wife's consent (unless she has specifically written in her nikah contract he may not take another wife) but the first wife may choose to remove herself from the situation if she can't deal with it (regardless of if it has been mentioned in nikah contract) simply by divorcing him.