Remarriage Cannot Lead to Widow’s Job Termination: Lahore High Court

In a landmark judgment, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that a widow’s employment cannot be revoked due to her remarriage, ordering the immediate reinstatement of a dismissed government employee.

A two-member bench, led by Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, issued a nine-page ruling in favor of the petitioner, who was employed at the Pakistan Mint as Naib Qasid after her husband died in 2020. The petitioner was dismissed from her position following her remarriage in 2021, with authorities citing the second marriage as the reason for her termination.

The court annulled the dismissal order, emphasizing that the right to remarry is a fundamental right protected by Shariah law and the Constitution. “Terminating a widow’s employment on the grounds of remarriage is a violation of Shariah principles,” the court ruled.

The petitioner had argued that Islam and Shariah law grant widows the right to remarry, and her dismissal was unjust. The LHC upheld her position, stating that the law used to justify her termination had already been ruled upon by the Supreme Court, deeming it invalid.

The court’s decision reinstates the petitioner to her original position, setting a significant precedent for similar cases in the future.