The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in a landmark judgment, has ruled that khula is a separate and unique legal right that cannot be automatically converted into divorce by courts. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Muneeba Saeed, held that courts cannot convert a woman’s divorce claim into khula without her explicit and voluntary consent.
In a significant decision, the Supreme Court bench declared that if a husband marries another woman in violation of the Muslim Family Law Ordinance without the consent of his wife or the reconciliation council, the wife is entitled to a divorce and cannot be denied the right to claim her Mehr. The court further ruled that khula is a separate and unique legal right that can only be granted when a woman explicitly and voluntarily seeks it.
In a related development, the Supreme Court declared null and void the decisions of lower courts in a case where a woman was seeking khula from her husband. The court ordered the husband to pay the remaining Mehr of 12 lakh rupees to the woman. The case dates back to a FIR registered in January 23 in connection with an incident at the Glitter Square in Karachi.
In other news, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced that it will not withdraw its decision to impose a ban on indoor gatherings, despite widespread criticism. The opposition alliance, Tahreek-e-Insaf, has announced that it will observe a black day on February 8 and stage a protest against the government’s decision.
In a separate development, the Punjab Wildlife Department has seized 57 wild bears and arrested eight individuals in a single day for keeping them in captivity without a license. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has also written to the Prime Minister, complaining about the federal government’s failure to provide funds to the province.
In another case, the court has rejected the bail application of a suspect accused of kidnapping and murdering a minor boy in Karachi. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced that it will not withdraw its call for a nationwide protest on February 8.
In a related development, the Chief Minister of Punjab has convened a meeting in Lahore to discuss preparations for Ramadan and public relief. The PTI has also announced that it will file a case against one of its own members, who allegedly made inflammatory remarks against the state and the constitution.
The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, has announced that a decision on Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup will be taken by Friday or Saturday. The UAE has also announced that it will not allow its territory to be used for any attack on Iran.
In other news, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has written to the Prime Minister, complaining about the federal government’s failure to provide funds to the province. The BCCI’s Vice President, Rajiv Shukla, has said that Bangladesh was disappointed to be excluded from the World Cup.
In a separate development, the US President has said that he will send agents to Minneapolis to investigate the city’s police department. The Punjab Wildlife Department has also announced that it has seized 57 wild bears and arrested eight individuals in a single day for keeping them in captivity without a license.
