Judgment related with offense of Qazaf
· Federal Shariat Court
This case involves a dispute between a husband and wife over accusations of adultery. The husband made written and verbal statements accusing his wife of zina (adultery) and claimed that all three of their children were illegitimate. These accusations were made after the husband had already divorced his wife and executed a divorce deed, meaning their marital relationship had legally ended.
Under Pakistan's Offence of Qazf (Enforcement of Hadd) Ordinance, 1979, falsely accusing someone of adultery is a punishable offense under Sections 6 and 7. However, Section 14 of the same law provides an exception when such accusations happen between a husband and wife during their marriage, treating it differently since spouses have legal mechanisms like li'an (mutual imprecation) to handle such accusations within marriage.
The trial court initially refused to frame charges under Section 7, believing this was simply a marital dispute where Section 14 should apply. The Federal Shariat Court disagreed and ordered charges to be framed under Sections 6 and 7, reasoning that since the divorce had already occurred, the parties were no longer husband and wife but simply a man and a woman when the accusations were made.
The Supreme Court upheld this reasoning and refused the husband's request for leave to appeal, meaning the Federal Shariat Court's decision stood. This case clarifies that the special marital exception under the Qazf law does not protect a person who makes such serious accusations after the marriage has already ended through divorce.
یہ کیس میاں بیوی کے درمیان زنا کی الزام تراشی سے متعلق ایک تنازعے پر مبنی ہے۔ شوہر نے تحریری اور زبانی طور پر اپنی بیوی پر زنا کا الزام لگایا اور یہ دعویٰ کیا کہ ان کے تینوں بچے ناجائز ہیں۔ یہ الزامات اس وقت لگائے گئے جب شوہر پہلے ہی اپنی بیوی کو طلاق دے چکا تھا اور طلاق نامہ تحریر کر چکا تھا، یعنی ان کا ازدواجی رشتہ قانونی طور پر ختم ہو چکا تھا۔
پاکستان کے قانون آفنس آف قذف (نفاذِ حد) آرڈیننس 1979 کے تحت، کسی پر جھوٹا زنا کا الزام لگانا دفعہ 6 اور 7 کے تحت قابلِ سزا جرم ہے۔ تاہم اسی قانون کی دفعہ 14 میں ایک استثنا موجود ہے جو اس وقت لاگو ہوتا ہے جب ایسے الزامات میاں بیوی کے درمیان ازدواجی رشتے کے دوران لگائے جائیں، کیونکہ میاں بیوی کے پاس ایسے الزامات سے نمٹنے کے لیے لعان جیسا قانونی طریقہ کار موجود ہوتا ہے۔
ٹرائل کورٹ نے ابتدائی طور پر دفعہ 7 کے تحت فردِ جرم عائد کرنے سے انکار کر دیا، یہ سم