Husband must honour promises beyond nikahnama, Lahore High Court rules

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that a husband is legally obligated to provide his wife with assets promised in a separate agreement, in addition to the dower (haq mehr) specified in the official marriage contract (nikahnama).

In an 11-page written decision, Justice Muhammad Sajid Mehmood Sethi upheld a trial court’s order directing a man to give his wife a 5-marla house that was promised in a separate contract on their wedding day. The court emphasized that dower is a wife’s legal right and is considered a debt upon the husband.

The judgment noted that while social pressures may prevent women from demanding their dower during marriage, this does not constitute a waiver of their right. The court also observed that the husband’s refusal to undergo a forensic examination of his signatures on the agreement weakened his claim that the document was forged, stating that “a person who speaks the truth does not fear scientific examination.”

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