In a rare case, the Lahore Family Court ordered the on-site return of dowry items to a woman after her divorce. The woman, Gul Zaib, had filed a petition seeking the return of her dowry items from her ex-husband. The case was heard by Family Court Judge Rukhsana Ameen, who oversaw the unusual order. Gul Zaib, through her lawyer Mujaddad Bajwa, had approached the court after her dowry was not returned.
Earlier, the court had sent a bailiff to recover the dowry items, but the woman refused to accept them. The items were in poor condition, and she did not find them acceptable. When the court summoned the items again, some pieces had been replaced with new ones. The court inspected the items and decided which ones were suitable to be returned.
Judge Rukhsana Ameen ruled that the woman would receive the acceptable items, while the damaged ones would be returned to the husband. The judge also directed the husband to pay the cost of the damaged items to the woman. This decision was a rare example of a court taking immediate action on a dowry-related dispute following a divorce.
Meanwhile, in Kotri, a man was arrested for stealing his friend’s sister’s dowry. The thief, identified as Ali Waris, used a duplicate key to break into his friend’s house in Shedi Mohala. He stole jewellery and cash worth Rs 4 million that was reserved for his friend’s sister’s dowry.
The police acted quickly and arrested the suspect within 24 hours. The stolen valuables were recovered, and the man was taken into custody. This crime highlights the continued risks associated with dowry-related thefts, even in cases involving close friends.
