ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan has imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on a man for initiating what it described as baseless litigation against his ex-wife following her khula.
In its detailed nine-page judgment, the court ruled that dragging a woman into unnecessary legal proceedings after obtaining khula constitutes a serious violation of her dignity, self-respect, and independence. The court directed that the penalty be paid to the former wife within 30 days, warning that failure to do so would allow recovery through the relevant family court.
The case involved allegations made by the former husband accusing his ex-wife of misconduct in an attempt to damage her reputation. The court observed that such actions were aimed at exerting pressure and amounted to misuse of the judicial process. It further stressed that legal proceedings should not be used as a tool for harassment or humiliation.
The apex court also reaffirmed that after khula and completion of the waiting period (iddat), a woman is fully entitled to remarry without seeking permission from her former spouse. It urged courts across the country to remain vigilant against the misuse of matrimonial laws.
The judgment noted that preventing malicious litigation is a key responsibility of the judiciary, along with protecting the dignity of litigants. The court dismissed the former husband’s appeal against the earlier decision of the Peshawar High Court.
According to case details, the Peshawar Family Court had granted khula in 2014 after the woman waived her haq mehr, amid allegations of abuse, expulsion from the home, and separation from her minor daughter, who was later placed in the mother’s custody.
Following the divorce and completion of iddat, the woman remarried, after which the former husband initiated further legal proceedings claiming she was still legally married to him. His petition was previously rejected at multiple judicial levels before reaching the Supreme Court.
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