The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday permitted a woman to stay with her husband, whom she married of her own choice while directing the groom to raise the dower amount (haq mehr) from $1,000 to $10,000.
Justice Farooq Haider presided over the case, which involved a habeas corpus petition filed by the woman’s father. The petition alleged the illegal detention of his daughter by her husband. Responding to the court’s notice, the local police presented the couple before the bench.
During the proceedings, the woman informed the court that she was an adult and had willingly married her husband. She denied claims of abduction or coercion and expressed her wish to remain with her husband instead of her father.
The judge inquired about the husband’s financial status, and he revealed that he earned $2,000 monthly while working in the United States. Justice Haider observed that the initial dower of $1,000 was insufficient to ensure the woman’s financial security and instructed the husband to increase it.
Following the court’s directive, the husband submitted an affidavit confirming the dower amount at $10,000. Based on the woman’s statement, the judge dismissed the habeas corpus petition, allowing her to go with her husband.