Prolonged dowry litigation questioned

LAHORE:

A Lahore High Court (LHC) judge has raised questions over the prolonged suffering of a woman in a dowry dispute, asking how much more humiliation and punishment she must endure because her marriage had not lasted.

Hearing a petition filed by a resident of Depalpur, Muhammad Arshad, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani expressed concern over the delay of proceedings.

"How much more humiliation does a woman have to face? How much more punishment do you want to give her?" he remarked during the hearing.

The petition sought to halt trial proceedings in a family court, where a claim regarding dowry articles and child expenses had been filed by the woman.

The petitioner's counsel argued that the trial court had begun proceedings without receiving their written reply, urging the high court to intervene and stay the process.

Addressing the counsel, Justice Kayani emphasised the lawyer's responsibility, stating that having charged a fee, it was their duty to help resolve the matter. "You are in a position to settle this dispute," he observed.

The judge asked the parties, "What if the dowry articles were to be returned to the husband? What would the situation be if he had filed the claim?"

He questioned whether, after the end of a marriage, the return of dowry items should not be a straightforward matter.

The court also highlighted systemic delays, noting that under normal circumstances, such a case might take up to six years to be heard. "Think about what would happen to the woman's belongings in that time," the judge remarked.

According to the petitioner's lawyer, the couple had married in 2013 but separated shortly thereafter.