SC Fines Man Rs 500,000 for Harassing Ex-Wife with Litigation
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ruled that entangling a woman in litigation after a ‘khula’ (dissolution of marriage) is a severe attack on her dignity and autonomy, fining a former husband Rs 500,000 for harassing his ex-wife.
In a nine-page judgment, the court dismissed the man’s appeal against a Peshawar High Court decision and ordered him to pay the fine to his former wife within 30 days. The court stated that the man had accused his wife of immorality to damage her reputation after she legally obtained a khula and remarried.
“A woman has the full right to remarry after legally obtaining a khula and completing the iddat period,” the court ruled, adding that she does not require permission from her ex-husband. The judgment noted that false criminal cases and character assassination are often used to exert pressure.
The case dates back to 2014, when a family court granted the woman a khula. After she remarried, her ex-husband initiated a series of legal challenges. The Supreme Court asserted that litigation cannot be used as a weapon for harassment and that protecting the dignity of litigants is a fundamental responsibility of the judiciary. It urged courts nationwide to remain vigilant against the misuse of the law in marital disputes.
