LHC Rules Haq Mehr as Wife’s Legal Right; Court Upholds Lower Verdict on Payment

Lahore High Court Rules Haq Mehr a Wife’s Legal Right

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that haq mehr is a fundamental legal right of the wife and must be fulfilled by the husband. This decision came in response to a constitutional petition filed by Irfan Sarfraz, which was dismissed.

Justice Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir stated in a 10-page judgment that a wife has the right to live separately from her husband until haq mehr is fully paid. The court also observed that after marriage, the responsibility of maintenance and financial support rests entirely on the husband.

The petitioner failed to provide credible evidence or receipts for claiming payment of Rs400,000 in exchange for four kanals of agricultural land. The court noted it is not reasonable to assume such a large payment would be made without documentation or proof.

Two witnesses were mentioned by the petitioner but were not presented before the court. According to case records, the marriage took place in 2015 and the woman filed a claim in 2016 seeking haq mehr including five tolas of gold, four kanals of agricultural land, and a five-marla house.

The appellate court had directed the petitioner to pay the specified haq mehr items along with Rs300,000 as dowry-related expenses. The LHC upheld parts of the lower court’s decision, confirming that the five-marla property has already been settled.