Lahore High Court Rules on Dower Payments Post-Divorce
The Lahore High Court has ruled that all items listed in a Nikahnama, such as gold and cash, must be fully paid to the former wife after divorce. The court emphasized that every item mentioned in the marriage contract is legally binding and must be honoured individually.
Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi issued this ruling while hearing a petition filed by Aamir Ali. The petitioner was married in 2011 with a dower of Rs5,000 cash, five tolas of silver, and ten tolas of gold, all specified in the Nikahnama. Following divorce, the woman claimed that her jewellery had not been provided.
The husband contested this claim, arguing that only the cash amount was agreed upon and that the entries for gold and silver were fraudulent. However, witnesses verified the authenticity of the Nikahnama, and the former wife presented a certified copy before the trial court. The evidence supported the woman’s claim that all listed items constituted the dower.
The High Court upheld the family court’s verdict and directed the petitioner to fulfill the entire dower obligation as recorded in the Nikahnama, including payment for any jewellery or its market value equivalent.