Divorced parents urged to marry off daughter
Lahore High Court. PHOTO: LHC.GOV.PK
The Lahore High Court has directed a divorced couple to arrange the marriage of their daughter as early as possible rather than fighting a legal battle for her custody.
LHC’s Justice Farooq Haider also ordered the girl’s father to arrange a separate house where she and her brother would stay and the parents could meet them.
The judge issued the directives after the girl’s father, who was the respondent in the petition filed by her mother for her custody, agreed to proposals given by the petitioner’s counsel Sultan Ali Dogar.
The petitioner had filed a habeas corpus petition, seeking the custody of her daughter from her ex-husband on a plea that she was not happy with her stepmother. The parents of the girl and boy had contracted second marriages after their divorce.
In the last hearing, the judge had sought legal assistance from the petitioner’s counsel on how the young daughter could be sent to live in a house of a “ghair mehram” whom her mother had married.
As the proceedings commenced on Friday, the girl emotionally stated, “I will commit suicide if the court does not send me with my real mother as I am depressed since long and am not happy with my stepmother.”
The judge appreciated the proposals given by the petitioner’s counsel. Advocate Dogar argued that social questions would arise at the time of the girl’s marriage.
He said it would be in the best interest of the girl if the respondent arranges a separate house for his daughter and son where both the father and mother could meet them. Efforts should be accelerated for the girl’s marriage so that she could start a new life with her husband, the lawyer said.
The respondent told the court that he was ready to arrange a separate house for his daughter.
“Get rid of the litigation. It is not good for the girl’s future. She is your daughter. Take care of her as God will question you about her. It is time to think that your daughter is saying in court that she will commit suicide. Who will be responsible if she does that?” the judge asked the father.
Finally, the judge disposed of the petition.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2020.