Judgment related with quantum of maintenance
PLJ 2011 Lahore 790 · Lahore High Court (Multan Bench)
This case is about a wife's claims for maintenance and dower from her husband after their marriage broke down. She had filed a suit asking for monthly maintenance, recovery of her unpaid dower (three tola gold, valued at Rs. 30,000 in the marriage contract), and dowry articles. The Family Court had dismissed her maintenance claim but granted her the dower. The District Judge upheld this on appeal. She then challenged these decisions in the High Court.
The courts below had found she could not prove her husband deserted her, so she was denied maintenance. However, the High Court pointed out that since her dower had not been paid, and filing her lawsuit itself counted as a formal demand for that unpaid dower, Islamic law entitles a wife to refuse to live with her husband and still receive maintenance until the dower is actually paid. Relying on this principle and past case law, the judge ruled she was entitled to maintenance of Rs. 1,000 per month from the date she filed her suit until her dower was paid, especially since the husband never disclosed his income and was working in Saudi Arabia.
The court also ruled that if dower is paid in cash instead of gold, its value should be calculated based on gold prices at the time the suit was filed, not at the time of the marriage. This judgment matters because it clarifies that unpaid dower gives a wife the right to maintenance, protecting women's financial rights during marital disputes.
یہ مقدمہ ایک بیوی کے اپنے شوہر سے نان و نفقہ اور حق مہر کے مطالبات سے متعلق ہے جو شادی ٹوٹنے کے بعد سامنے آئے۔ بیوی نے عدالت میں دعویٰ دائر کیا تھا جس میں ماہانہ خرچہ، غیر ادا شدہ حق مہر (تین تولہ سونا، جس کی مالیت نکاح نامے میں تیس ہزار روپے مقرر تھی) کی واپسی، اور جہیز کے سامان کا مطالبہ کیا گیا تھا۔ فیملی کورٹ نے اس کے نان و نفقہ کے دعوے کو خارج کر دیا تھا مگر حق مہر کی ڈگری دے دی تھی۔ ضلعی عدالت نے اپیل میں اس فیصلے کو برقرار رکھا۔ اس کے بعد بیوی نے ہائی کورٹ میں ان فیصلوں کو چیلنج کیا۔
نچلی عدالتوں نے یہ قرار دیا تھا کہ وہ یہ ثابت نہیں کر سکی کہ شوہر نے اسے ترک کر دیا تھا، اسی بنا پر اسے نان و نفقہ سے محروم کر دیا گیا۔ تاہم ہائی کورٹ نے نشاندہی کی کہ چونکہ اس کا حق مہر ادا نہیں کیا گیا تھا، اور دعویٰ دائر کرنا بذاتِ خود غیر ادا شدہ مہر کے باقاعدہ مطالبے کے مترادف ہے،