Family Laws in Pakistan (Second Edition)

This book offers a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the principles and practices of family laws in Pakistan, incorporating the most recent case law and statutes.

List of contents

• Foreword xv


• Preface xvii


• Acknowledgement xix


• A Note on Translation, Transliteration, and Terminology xxi


• Introduction xxiii


• Historical Context of Muslim Family Law in Pakistan 1


• Historical Development of Islamic Family Law in Pakistan 1


• Formative Period of Islamic Law (Shari'a/Fiqh) 1


• Islamic Law in South Asia 3


• Transformation of Islamic Law in British India 3


• Textbooks on Muhammadan Law 5


• Political Context of Islamic Family Law in British India 8


• Islamic Family Law in Pakistan 9


• What is Muslim Personal Law? 11


• Definition of a Muslim 14


• Current Debates in Islamic Family Law 16


• Notes 19


• PART I


• Marriage: Formation, Operation, and Dissolution


• Marriage 25


• Introduction 25


• Requirements of Valid Marriage 25


• Prohibited Degree of Marriage 26


• Temporary Prohibitions 26


• Legal Consequences of Marriage 27


• Stipulations in Marriage Contract 28


• Registration and Witnessing of Marriage Contracts 28


• Presumption of a Valid Marriage 29


• Outline of Case Law 29


• Nature of Marriage under Islamic Law 29


• Validity of Marriage 36


• Consent of the Parties for the Validity of Marriage 36


• Consent of the Wali 41


• With Whom is Marriage Valid? 42


• When is a Marriage Valid? 44


• Inter-marriages between Muslim Sects 46


• Proof of Marriage 50


• Registration of Marriage 52


• Presumption of Marriage Based on a Continued and Prolonged Cohabitation 53


• Marriage of Transgender Persons 55


• Conclusion 56


• Questions 57


• Further Reading 58


• Notes 59


• Dower and Dowry 61


• Dower 61


• Introduction 61


• Classification of Dower 61


• Quantum of Dower 62


• Functions of Dower 63


• Dowry 63


• Outline of Case Law 64


• Nature of Dower 64


• Specified Dower Without Consummation of Marriage 65


• Lifetime Interest as Dower 65


• Deferred Dower 67


• Change in the Fixed Amount of Dower 72


• Principle of As-sum'at 75


• Recovery of Dower 76


• Limitation Period for the Recovery of Dower 83


• Recovery of Dowry 84


• Conclusion 87


• Questions 88


• Further Reading 88


• Notes 90


• Maintenance of Wives and Children 91


• Introduction 91


• Outline of Case Law 93


• Maintenance of Wife 93


• Maintenance-a Right of Wife 93


• Requirement of Evidence for Proving Income of Husband for Maintenance 99


• Maintenance of Children 101


• Obligation of a Father to Maintain his Child 101


• Father has to Maintain his Unmarried and Divorced Daughters 106


• Father Might be Required to Maintain his Adult Son 110


• Quantum of Maintenance Allowance 114


• Procedure 116


• Conclusion 121


• Questions 123


• Further Reading 123


• Notes 124


• Dissolution of Marriage 125


• Introduction 125


• Talaq 127


• Tafwid Al-Talaq 128


• Khula 128


• mubarat (Dissolution through Mutual Consent) 128


• Li'an (Imprecation) 128


• ila (Vow of Continence) 128


• zihar (Injurious Assimilation) 129


• Kafa'a 129


• Notice of Talaq 129


• Outline of Case Law 130


• Dissolution of Marriage under the DMMA 130


• Tafwid al-Talaq 133


• Mubarat 134


• Evidence Required under the DMMA 135


• Khula without the Consent of a Husband and Restitution of Conjugal Rights 136


• Return of Dower on Khula 142


• Intervening Marriage (Halala) after Khula 146


• Triple Talaq 147


• Notice of Talaq to the Chairman under the MFLO 150


• Proof of Talaq 155


• Talaq and Right to Inheritance 156


• Conclusion 157


• Questions 158


• Further Reading 158


• Notes 160


• PART II


• Children's Rights


• Parentage and Legitimacy 163


• Introduction 163


• Period of Gestation 163


• Principle of Acknowledgment 164


• Rights of an Illegitimate Child 164


• Outline of Case Law 165


• Legitimacy 165


• Paternity and DNA Profiling 174


• Acknowledgement 181


• Conclusion 185


• Questions 186


• Further Reading 187


• Notes 188


• Guardianship, Custody, and Welfare of Minors 189


• Introduction 189


• Outline of Case Law 191


• Factors to be Considered for Determining Custody 191


• Welfare of Minor-Definition 193


• Power of the Court to Appoint a Guardian-Repugnancy to the Injunctions of Islam 194


• Relevance of a Compromise Agreement between the Parties in Matters of Custody 196


• Who will Have the Custody of a Minor? 200


• Father's Custody 200


• Mother's Custody 202


• Maternal Grandparents' Custody 212


• Real Parents' Custody v Adopted Parents' Custody 216


• Maternal Aunt's Custody 218


• Non-Appointment of Relatives as Guardians 219


• Conclusion 223


• Questions 224


• Further Reading 224


• Notes 225


• PART III


• Personal Property


• Hiba (Gift) 228


• Introduction 228


• Elements of Valid Hiba 228


• Subject Matter of Hiba 230


• Mushaa 230


• Revocation of Hiba 230


• Hiba Bil-Iwaz 231


• Hiba Bi-Shart Al-Iwaz 232


• Legal Formalities 232


• Outline of Case Law 233


• Essentials of a Gift and Onus of Proof 233


• Corpus and Usufruct 239


• Gift of Mushaa 241


• Hiba Bil-iwaz 244


• Preferential Gift 246


• Gift by a Pardanashin Lady 248


• Conclusion 250


• Questions 251


• Further Reading 251


• Notes 252


• Waqf 254


• Introduction 254


• Types of Waqf 255


• Regulatory Framework of Awqaf 255


• Outline of Case Law 257


• Definition and Nature of a Waqf 257


• Modes of the Establishment of a Waqf 262


• Family waqf 266


• Legal Effects of the Establishment of a Waqf 275


• Conclusion 280


• Questions 281


• Further Reading 281


• Notes 282


• Wills 283


• Introduction 283


• Validity of a Will 284


• Subject Matter of a Will 284


• Revocation of a Will 284


• Interpretation of a Will 285


• Procedural Law Regarding a Will 285


• Outline of Case Law 285


• Interpretation of a Will 285


• Testamentary Powers 290


• Consent of Legal Heirs 293


• Revocation of a Will 300


• Mandatory Will 303


• Enforcement of Wills 305


• Conclusion 306


• Questions 307


• Further Reading 307


• Notes 308


• Death Illness Gifts 309


• Introduction 309


• Death Illness or Marz-ul-Maut 310


• Disease Which Comes Under Marz-ul-Maut 312


• Transaction with Consideration During Death Illness 312


• Debt-Related Acknowledgement/Release During Death Illness 313


• Outline of Case Law 314


• Nature of Death Illness 314


• Death Illness and Burden of Proof 319


• Death Illness and Undue Influence 323


• Conclusion 326


• Questions 327


• Further Reading 328


• Notes 328


• Inheritance Law 330


• Introduction 330


• Qur'anic Verses on Inheritance 330


• Occasion of the Revelation of the Verse of Inheritance 331


• General Principles 332


• Bar to Inheritance 332


• Distribution of an Estate under the Sunni and Shia Schools 333


• Sunni Inheritance Law 333


• Sharers (Qur'anic Heirs) 333


• Residuaries (asbat) 334


• Distant Kindred 335


• Principle of Exclusion 336


• Principle of radd (Return) 336


• Principle of awl (Increase) 336


• Shia Inheritance Law 337


• Principe of Exclusion 338


• Principle of Representation 338


• Principle of radd (Return) 338


• Principle of awl (Increase) 339


• Customary Law of Inheritance in Pakistan 339


• Legislation on Inheritance 340


• Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates 341


• Procedure of Devolution 342


• Outline of Case Law 342


• Distribution of Estate 342


• Determination of Religion and Sect 353


• Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 359


• Superior Courts and Women's Right to Inheritance 363


• Burden of Proof and Acquiescence 369


• Conclusion 372


• Questions 373


• Further Reading 374


• Notes 375


• PART IV


• Personal Laws and Family Court Procedures


• Personal Laws of non-Muslims 378


• Introduction 378


• Personal Law of Hindus 379


• The Hindu Marriage Act 2017 379


• The Sindh Hindu Marriage Act 2016 381


• Personal Law of Christians 382


• The Christian Marriage Act 1872 382


• The Divorce Act 1869 383


• Outline of Case Law 385


• Marriage of Sui Juris Christians 385


• Bigamy 386


• Dissolution of Marriage on the Ground of Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage 388


• Standard of Proof for Dissolution of Marriage 392


• Collusion Between Parties 400


• Alimony Pendente Lite 402


• Personal Law for Special Religious Communities 403


• Conclusion 405


• Questions 405


• Further Reading 406


• Notes 406


• Conflict of Private/Personal Laws 408


• Introduction 408


• Conflict of Law Rules 408


• Outline of Case Law 409


• Effects of Religious Conversion on Marriage 409


• Pronouncement of Talaq 410


• Second Marriage after Conversion 415


• Applicable Law for Marriages Between


• Muslims and Christians 419


• Legal Status of an English Marriage in Pakistan 419


• Delegated Right to Divorce a Christian Wife 426


• Legal Status of Foreign Judgments in Pakistan 427


• Application of the MFLO to Pakistani Citizens


• Living Abroad 435


• Conclusion 438


• Questions 438


• Further Reading 438


• Notes 439


• Procedures in Family Courts 441


• Introduction 441


• Jurisdiction of Family Courts 441


• Territorial Jurisdiction of Family Courts 442


• Appeals 442


• Institution of Suits in Family Courts 443


• Intimation to the Defendant 443


• Written Statement 443


• Pre-Trial Proceedings 445


• Power of Family Courts to Summon Witnesses 445


• Recording of Evidence 445


• Conclusion of a Trial and Cases to be Disposed of within a


• Specified Period 446


• Enforcement of Decrees 446


• Contempt of Court 446


• Suit for Maintenance 447


• Appearance of Pardanashin Lady through Agents 447


• Court Fee 447


• Intimation to Arbitration Council 447


• Outline of Case Law 447


• Restitution of Conjugal Rights 447


• Institution of Suits and Additional Evidence 451


• Setting Aside Ex Parte Decree 454


• Pre-trial Proceedings 454


• Recording of Evidence 458


• Conclusion of Trial 459


• Enforcement of Decrees 460


• Appeals 461


• Conclusion 463


• Questions 464


• Further Reading 464


• Notes 465


• Conclusion 467


• Notes 473


• Glossary 475


• Bibliography 480


• Table of Cases 486

About the author

Dr Muhammad Zubair Abbasi is an academic who has held positions as a Research Fellow at Oxford University, Senior Research Fellow at Max Planck Foundation in Heidelberg, lecturer at Bradford University, Oxford Brookes University, and Westminster University, Associate Professor at LUMS, and Visiting Professor of Comparative Law at the American University in Cairo. He earned his DPhil from Oxford University, an LL.M in Corporate Governance from Manchester University, and a B.A LL.B (Hons) from International Islamic University, Islamabad. He is the co-author of Democracy under God: Constitutions, Islam and Human Rights in the Muslim World (Cambridge University Press 2023).

Dr Shahbaz Ahmad Cheema is an experienced and accomplished academic, currently serving as a Professor at University Law College, University of the Punjab in Lahore. He holds a PhD from Warwick University, UK, an LL.M from the University of the Punjab, and an LL.B (Hons) from International Islamic University, Islamabad. With over two decades of teaching experience at the University of the Punjab, Dr Cheema specialises in Islamic law and evidence law. He is the author of Islamic Law of Inheritance: Practices in Pakistan (Shariah Academy, International Islamic University, Islamabad 2017).

Summary

This book offers a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the principles and practices of family laws in Pakistan, incorporating the most recent case law and statutes. The case law has been organised in a systematic manner providing a critical analysis of the leading judicial precedents. Each chapter covers the general principles of family law and illustrates their application through the examination of relevant judgments. By examining real-life examples, readers can gain an understanding of how these principles are applied in practice. The book highlights the evolving trends in case law and proposes solutions to reconcile conflicting judicial authorities. It also identifies areas where reforms are needed to improve the existing legal frameworks.

The book includes dedicated chapters on the personal laws of Hindus and Christians in Pakistan and addresses the complexities arising from the conflict of personal laws. It also provides an overview of the principles of private international law and explores the relevant case law, enabling readers to develop a comprehensive understanding of family laws within transnational contexts in our contemporary globalised world.

Product details

• Authors: Muhammad Zubair Abbasi, Shahbaz Ahmad Cheema
• Publisher: Oxford Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 23.09.2024
• EAN: 9789697347575
• ISBN: 978-969-734-757-5
• No. of pages: 530
• Subject: Social sciences, law, business > Law > General, dictionaries