📝 AI Summary — Plain-Language Overview
This case, decided by the Lahore High Court, dealt with a dispute over the legitimacy of a child. The child's mother had filed a maintenance suit on behalf of herself and her minor son against the father, who denied that the child was his and refused to support him. The father asked the Family Court to order a DNA test to prove the child was not his, but the Family Court rejected this request. He then challenged that refusal before the High Court.
The High Court upheld the Family Court's decision and dismissed the father's petition at the outset. It held that questions of a child's legitimacy have serious, lasting consequences and cannot be decided casually. Under the law, a child born during a lawful marriage is presumed legitimate, and this presumption strongly favors the child. A father cannot simply deny paternity through bare accusations; such claims must be backed by solid, credible evidence. The court noted that the father had not pursued the proper legal procedure (called "Liyan") available for formally disowning a child, nor had he presented any real proof that the child was illegitimate.
Because the child was born during the marriage and no credible evidence rebutted the presumption of legitimacy, the court ruled that the child was legitimate and was legally entitled to receive maintenance from the father. This case highlights how strongly the law protects children born in wedlock from being denied support based on unsubstantiated claims.
یہ مقدمہ لاہور ہائی کورٹ نے ایک بچے کی جائز حیثیت (نسب) کے تنازع پر فیصلہ کیا۔ بچے کی والدہ نے اپنی اور اپنے نابالغ بیٹے کی جانب سے والد کے خلاف نان و نفقہ کا دعویٰ دائر کیا تھا، جبکہ والد اس بات سے انکاری تھا کہ یہ بچہ اس کا ہے اور اس نے بچے کی کفالت سے انکار کر دیا۔ والد نے فیملی کورٹ سے استدعا کی کہ یہ ثابت کرنے کے لیے کہ بچہ اس کا نہیں ہے، ڈی این اے ٹیسٹ کا حکم دیا جائے، مگر فیملی کورٹ نے یہ درخواست مسترد کر دی۔ اس کے بعد اس نے اس فیصلے کو ہائی کورٹ میں چیلنج کیا۔
ہائی کورٹ نے فیملی کورٹ کے فیصلے کو برقرار رکھتے ہوئے والد کی درخواست ابتدا ہی میں خارج کر دی۔ عدالت نے قرار دیا کہ بچے کی جائز حیثیت (نسب) سے متعلق سوالات کے سنگین اور دیرپا اثرات مرتب ہوتے ہیں، اس لیے انہیں سرسری طور پر طے نہیں کیا جا سکتا۔ قانون کے مطابق، جائز نکاح کے دوران پیدا ہونے والا بچہ جائز تصور کیا جاتا ہے، اور یہ
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Citation Name : 2008 PLD 302 LAHORE-HIGH-COURT-LAHORE Side Appellant : MUHAMMAD ARSHAD Side Opponent : SUGHRAN BIBI S. 5 & Sched.---Constitution of Pakistan (1973), Art.199---Constitutional petition---Legitimacy of child ---Presumption---Liyan, proceedings of---DNA test---Suit for recovery of maintenance was filed by mother and her minor son but petitioner (father) disowned minor as his son---Application was filed by petitioner in Family Court for DNA test of the child , which application was dismissed---Validity---Legitimacy of child entailed far reaching impact, therefore, determination of such crucial and vital issue should not be taken in cavalier manner---Accusation by petitioner or his act of disowning child born in wedlock were to be substantiated through tangible proof and credible evidence---Paternity of child born out of lawful wedlock invariably carried presumption of truth in his favour---Mere simple denial could never take away the status of legitimacy as "child follows the bed"---Every presumption was made in favour of legitimacy of the child and it was presumed to be an issue of his parent without acknowledgement or affirmation of parentage on the part of father---No evidence was available on record to substantiate the frivolous and scandalous version of petitioner with reference to accusation that child was Illegitimate ---Petitioner did not have recourse to the Court of competent jurisdiction for Liyan---Minor having born out the wedlock between the parties would inevitably be deemed to be a legitimate child and was lawfully entitled to be supported and maintained by petitioner (father).-Constitutional petition was dismissed in limine.