In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that a woman’s legal rights, personhood, and autonomy remain intact and are not nullified by marriage. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah emphasized that assuming a married woman becomes financially dependent on her husband is legally untenable, religiously unfounded, and contrary to the egalitarian spirit of Islamic law.
The case involved Zahida Parveen, who was appointed as a primary school teacher under the deceased’s son/daughter quota. Her appointment was later revoked based on a clarification that married daughters were ineligible for such appointments. The Supreme Court found this exclusion discriminatory, highlighting that women are autonomous, rights-bearing citizens in their own right, not by virtue of their relationship to a man. The court ordered the restoration of Parveen’s appointment with all back benefits.
This ruling underscores the court’s commitment to gender equality and challenges patriarchal assumptions that undermine women’s financial and legal independence.
