Widow Gets Inherited Property After 27 Years of Legal Battle

The Lahore High Court has overturned a trial court’s ruling and granted property rights to a widow after an arduous 27-year legal fight, according to ARY News.

Justice Khalid Ishaq issued the written judgment in favor of Sidiqaan Bibi, following her appeal against the earlier decision. The court highlighted that intra-family property disputes frequently involve fabricated claims, often under the guise of verbal gifts.

In its ruling, the court strongly criticized the conduct of the woman’s brother, who, instead of supporting his widowed sister during her vulnerable period, unlawfully took control of her rightful inheritance. The judgment compared his actions to those of a predator.

Justice Ishaq expressed deep concern over the recurring violations of Shariah by men who deprive women of their legitimate inheritance. He emphasized that women must be protected from such injustices, and any claim that a woman voluntarily relinquished her share must be backed by concrete evidence.

Following the death of their father, the brothers assumed complete control over the family property. Initially, he promised to allocate a share to his sister and even sent her a portion of the income generated from the land. However, after her husband’s death, he stopped honoring this agreement.

In 2011, Sidiqaan Bibi filed a claim for her share in the inheritance. The brother contended that their father had gifted him 59 kanals of land during his lifetime. The trial court rejected the widow’s claim in 2014.

The High Court’s verdict has now rectified that decision, affirming the widow’s rightful claim and bringing long-awaited justice.

This judgment aligns with a recent landmark ruling by the Federal Shariat Court, which declared the customary practices of Chadar and Parchi—often used to deprive women of inheritance—as both un-Islamic and illegal.

A full bench led by Chief Justice Iqbal Hameed ur Rehman, along with Justices Khadim M. Shaikh, Dr. Muhammad Mehmood Anwar, and Ameer Muhammad, stated that these practices are in direct contradiction with the Quran and Sunnah. The court asserted that pressuring women to forgo inheritance rights due to societal customs is unlawful and un-Islamic.

The Federal Shariat Court further directed authorities to take legal action under Section 498 against those who enforce or promote such practices and emphasized the urgent need for raising awareness and ensuring effective implementation of laws protecting women’s inheritance rights.