Pakistan, June 17 -- The Lahore High Court's Multan Bench has ruled that a wife can legally live separately from her husband until her full dower (haq mehr) is paid, reaffirming that dower is an enforceable legal right. The court further stated that a husband remains responsible for the maintenance and financial support of his wife after marriage until all legal obligations arising from the marriage contract are fulfilled.

Justice Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir delivered the verdict while dismissing a constitutional petition filed by Irfan Sarfaraz. The court found no constitutional violation or legal flaw in the decisions of the lower courts and upheld their findings. As a result, the petitioner's challenge failed to establish any grounds for ...