ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has clarified that jewelry gifted to a bride during her wedding is her personal and exclusive property, and cannot be claimed or seized by others. The court emphasized that such items remain the bride’s sole ownership, regardless of who provided them.
The ruling states that neither the husband, nor in-laws such as the mother-in-law or father-in-law, have any legal claim over a bride’s jewelry. Items like gold or other valuables given by parents, relatives, or friends are also considered the bride’s private property.
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, delivered the verdict, with Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shakeel Ahmed serving on the panel. The court underscored that forcibly taking or withholding a bride’s jewelry or gifts constitutes illegal deprivation of her property rights. Without her consent, no family member or in-law can seize or use her jewelry.
The court further explained that ownership of wedding gifts depends on the intention behind their giving the purpose for which they were presented. The ruling also affirmed that a woman has the right to seek legal recourse in Family Court to retrieve her jewelry, dowry, or other personal belongings. Family Courts are authorized to handle cases related to the recovery of such items.
In addition, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by a husband in a related case, upholding the Lahore High Court’s earlier decision.
This landmark judgment follows shortly after a significant ruling by Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court concerning inheritance rights. The FCC, headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, addressed irregularities in land inheritance records in Wazirabad, Punjab. The case revealed that Sardar Begum, the pre-deceased daughter, was omitted from official inheritance documents, depriving her of her legal share for years and denying her heirs their rightful entitlements.
