Lahore High Court Orders Immediate Dower and Maintenance for First Wife When Husband Marries Again Without Consent

Overview

• Justice Abid Hussain Chatha ordered payment of Rs1 million in haq mehr, Rs15,000 monthly maintenance with a 10% yearly rise from 2021, and compensation for dowry items at court-assessed value.
• The court found the husband contracted subsequent marriages without the first wife's permission and expelled her from the home with only a few clothes.
• A claimed verbal divorce was ruled legally ineffective, so maintenance continues until a divorce becomes effective under required formalities.
• The decision restores and clarifies obligations that a sessions court had reduced after the 2024 family court awards.
• The ruling references Supreme Court guidance on consent and notes potential penalties under Section 6 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 for unauthorized subsequent marriages.