JAN MOHAMMAD, a doctor from Pakistan, is on a mission to produce 100 offspring, an achievement that he believes will earn him a place in heaven.

    The 43-year-old already has 35 children from three wives, and is now ready to marry a fourth woman to speed up the process.

    “I want to have 100 children, as the prophet had said that those who increase the number of followers (of Islam) will never go to hell,” he said, speaking to Pakistan newspaper DAWN, from his hometown of Quetta, in Pakistan. “With the grace of God, my children will help me go to heaven.”

    Mohammad’s current wives — Bibi Naz Gul, 32, Noor Bibi, 28, and Hayat Bibi, 25 — have borne him a total of 14 boys and 21 girls so far. Two of the baby girls were born only a few weeks ago to two of his wives, but the doctor has already made plans to marry again. “The bigger the family, the better,” he explained. “I hope to find a fourth wife I can marry soon.”

    All 39 members of Mohammad’s family live under the same roof, in a 12-room house built on a 4,000 square-meter property. He runs a small practice in Quetta and earns a salary of 100,000 rupees (US$955) a month, which allows him to “provide everything his children need.” He doesn’t discriminate between his daughters and sons, believing that women have the right to be educated. “All of my daughters will be educated,” he said.

    Mohammad admits that he cannot remember the names of all his sons and daughters, but he’s happy to have the house full of children. “I am very happy and lucky because of my children,” he said. “When I get home, 12 or 15 of my children run to give me a welcome. They seem very happy when they see me.” He loves playing with his kids, especially organizing cricket matches where both 11-member teams come from his own family. And for family vacations, he actually charters an entire bus.

    (SD-Agencies)