KARACHI: After nearly two decades of legal proceedings, a woman from Karachi has successfully secured alimony from her former husband. The case concluded with both parties reaching a settlement before the court, resulting in the ex-husband being ordered to pay Rs2.5 million in alimony.
The court directed that the amount be paid in five installments over the course of the next year. The woman initially filed for maintenance in 2007. Despite her appeals being dismissed by the session court and the Sindh High Court, she took her case to the Supreme Court, which instructed the lower courts to expedite the process.
Following Supreme Court directives, the Sindh High Court referred the case back to the Karachi trial court for a fresh hearing. The court facilitated mediation between the two parties, culminating in a mutual agreement to settle the matter without further claims. Both parties agreed that after the Rs2.5 million payment, no additional legal claims would be pursued.
In a related development, the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan issued a landmark ruling declaring traditional practices like ‘Chadar’ and ‘Parchi’ as un-Islamic and unlawful. A full bench, led by Chief Justice Iqbal Hameed ur Rehman and including Justices Khadim M. Shaikh, Dr. Muhammad Mehmood Anwar, and Ameer Muhammad, delivered the verdict.
The court criticized these customs for depriving women of their rightful inheritance, asserting that such practices contradict Islamic teachings as outlined in the Quran and Sunnah. The judgment emphasized that coercing women into relinquishing their inheritance under societal pressure is both un-Islamic and illegal. The court ordered authorities to take legal action under Section 498 against those who enforce these customs.
Furthermore, the court reiterated the importance of raising awareness and ensuring the effective implementation of laws designed to protect women’s inheritance rights.In another ruling, the Federal Shariat Court in Islamabad declared that certain sections—2(f), 3, and 7—of the Transgender Act 2018 are incompatible with Islamic principles. Acting Chief Justice Syed Muhammad Anwar and Justice Khadim Hussain stated that these sections contradict Sharia, whereas Section 2(n) of the same legislation aligns with Islamic teachings.
