In a ruling, the Supreme Court has affirmed that husbands are obligated to pay ‘haq mehr’ to their wives upon request.
The written verdict, issued by the SC in response to Khalid Parvez’s challenge against the Shariah provision, spans three pages. Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa wrote the order.
Highlighting the significance of haq mehr as a Shariah requirement, the SC emphasized its safeguarding within Pakistani law.
Moreover, the verdict clarified that if the time for haq mehr payment isn’t specified during the Nikkah ceremony, the woman holds the right to demand it at her discretion.
The case, involving a woman seeking payment in line with her Shariah right, reached the Supreme Court after a six-year legal journey through various courts, noted the court’s observation.
Further elaborating in the written verdict, the Chief Justice pointed out that despite the complainant persistently filing pleas against the provision of haq mehr in different courts, the case ultimately made its way to the SC.
The SC, in its judgment, dismissed Khalid Parvez’s plea, highlighting that had the complainant faced fines from lower courts, the matter might not have escalated to this level.
It’s worth noting that during the last hearing, the man was penalized with a Rs100,000 fine by the Supreme Court.
ADB announces new loans for Pakistan
Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved this week three projects totaling $658.8 million to help Pakistan achieve its goal of more inclusive and sustainable growth and development.
The projects will focus on improving domestic resource mobilization; rehabilitating schools damaged by the devastating August 2022 floods; and enhancing agricultural productivity to improve food security.
“This significant new wave of financing will help Pakistan recover from the impacts of last year’s cost-of-living crisis and super-floods and return to the path of long-term development that is sustainable and inclusive,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov. “This multifaceted approach is part of ADB’s strategic engagement in Pakistan and cohesively deploys our program lending and project investments to enhance support for Pakistan’s efforts to improve its economic situation and enhance the quality of life for its people.”
The Improved Resource Mobilization and Utilization Reform Program will support the government to realize its ambition of achieving economic growth that is sustainable, broad-based, and inclusive.
The $300 million policy-based loan will support the initiative’s first subprogram, which focuses on laying the foundation for reforms to policies, laws, and institutional capacity that will improve domestic resource mobilization and utilization.
