LAHORE: A British Pakistani woman pursuing maintenance litigation against her former husband for their three daughters has alleged harassment and intimidation by him on the court premises.
In an application submitted to Islampura police, the complainant, Laleen, alleged that she had visited the sessions court for a hearing involving her ex-husband, a businessman.
She had obtained a Khula (judicial divorce) from him seven years earlier, and a guardian court had decided the matter of the daughters’ custody in her favour. The decision had since attained finality.
The woman alleged that, upon leaving the courtroom, she was confronted by her former husband and several unidentified individuals.
She claimed that the men harassed her, hurled verbal abuse and continued issuing threats even inside the judge’s chamber.
According to the complaint filed on Oct 23, her former husband repeatedly demanded custody of their daughters, issued death threats and physically shoved her.
The complainant further alleged that the suspects prevented her from calling the police helpline (15) or immediately reaching the police station, causing her severe mental distress before she managed to escape.
Despite providing video evidence, she alleged that the police were reluctant to register a case.
However, the inquiry officer concerned at Islampura Police Station told Dawn that the matter had been investigated but no cognisable offence was made out.
Laleen has appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, urging her to intervene and ensure justice.
“I have been cleared in numerous malicious cases,” she said.
“Given CM Maryam Nawaz’s work for women and children, I request her support in the matter,” the woman stated.
She also seeks the removal of her youngest daughter’s name from the Exit Control List.
A family court had awarded each daughter Rs100,000 per month in maintenance from January 2017, along with educational expenses and a 10 per cent annual increase.
The father had challenged the decree, arguing that the maintenance amount was excessive and beyond his means.
However, the Lahore High Court (LHC) upheld the decision, dismissing his appeal and ruling that a father cannot evade his financial obligations by concealing his assets and income.
The court noted that the educational expenses reflected the standard of living the children had enjoyed before the marital dispute, and that a father could not reduce that standard merely because the children were now residing with their mother.
It held that maintenance must correspond to the children’s needs, social background, educational requirements and the father’s financial standing.
However, the children have yet to receive maintenance, as execution proceedings are still pending.
In a recent judgement, the LHC underscored the systemic issue of delays in the execution of decrees, observing that prolonged enforcement proceedings defeat the very purpose of adjudication and reduce court judgements to “mere paper declarations”.
The court noted that although cases are decided within statutory timelines, the real hardship for litigants often begins at the execution stage. - The Dawn/ANN
