Latest news with #LahoreHighCourt
Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
CCP decides 223 cases, slashes legal backlog by over 40%
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) made significant progress in reducing its legal backlog and recovering penalties, as 223 cases have been decided, cutting the backlog by more than 40%. 'When the new management took charge in August 2023, the CCP faced 567 pending cases across different courts,' the CCP said in a statement on Wednesday. It said that the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) decided 121 cases out of 210, bringing down pendency by 58%. The Supreme Court decided 11 cases, while 171 cases challenging the CCP's mandate were clubbed for a single hearing. CCP says recovered Rs10mn penalty from PIA for 'abusing dominant position' The Lahore High Court decided 39 cases, reducing the backlog by 78%, while the Sindh High Court disposed of 40 cases, a 61% cut. Similarly, the Islamabad High Court decided 13 cases, lowering pendency by 43%. According to the statement, the resolution of cases has enabled the CCP to recover imposed penalties, and in the past year alone, the commission recovered Rs360 million, surpassing the total Rs201 million collected since its establishment in 2007. One of the landmark judgments was delivered by the SC in the Dalda Foods vs CCP case, which strengthened the CCP's enforcement capacity. Similarly, in a case on alleged cartelization in the poultry sector, the Lahore High Court upheld CCP's authority to pursue investigations into price-fixing, the CCP said.
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Consumer courts cease operations
The Punjab government has formally abolished all 17 district consumer courts that were established to safeguard consumer rights across the province. Judges serving in these courts have been reassigned and instructed to report to the Lahore High Court (LHC), with a formal notification of their transfers already issued. Effective Tuesday, July 29, all special consumer courts throughout the province have ceased operations. Permanent staff are being transferred to other courts and government departments, while all contractual and temporary personnel have been terminated. Province-wide, a total of 1,682 cases were under adjudication in these courts. The Special Consumer Court in Rawalpindi alone had 97 pending cases. According to court officials in Rawalpindi, all active cases are being transferred to the office of the District and Sessions Judge. A comprehensive list, along with case files, is being prepared and will be submitted within the next two days. Following this, the District and Sessions Judge will reassign the cases to the relevant Additional Sessions Judges for further legal proceedings. Consumer rights protection courts were established across Punjab in 2006, following the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act in 2005. However, in the new fiscal year 2025-26 budget, an amendment was introduced, and a revised act was passed, officially abolishing the status of special consumer courts. Under the new amendment, consumer rights cases will now once again be heard by Additional District and Sessions Judges as part of the regular judicial system, as was the practice prior to the establishment of these special courts.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Don't list acquitted persons in police record: LHC
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has declared that continued mention of a First Information Report (FIR) against an individual who has been acquitted by a court is unlawful and infringes on the person's dignity and fundamental rights. In the judgment, Justice Abher Gul Khan ruled that once an individual has been acquitted and the order has attained finality, public authorities cannot continue to associate that person with the case. He added that doing so undermines the acquittal, the presumption of innocence, and basic principles of fairness and dignity. The case was brought by Abdul Rehman Faryad, who sought the removal of an FIR reference from his police character certificate despite being acquitted of kite flying charges by a court. He argued that the continued mention of the FIR, particularly in a document required for overseas travel, effectively portrayed him as a criminal despite a court's clearance. Although a police character certificate was eventually issued to him on March 13, 2025, it still referenced FIR 1254/2024 registered at Nawan Kot Police Station, Lahore. After an application to the Home Secretary went unanswered, the petitioner approached the LHC, which initially directed the government to respond within 15 days. When this failed to happen, he filed a contempt petition. "Once an accused has been acquitted by a competent court of law, he is to be considered, in the eye of law, entirely absolved of the allegations levelled against him," the judge stated. Justice Gul ordered the Home Secretary to issue a fresh police character certificate to the petitioner, omitting all references to the FIR and accurately reflecting his acquittal and the absence of any criminal liability.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Don't list acquitted persons in police records: LHC
Listen to article The Lahore High Court (LHC) has declared that continued mention of a First Information Report (FIR) against an individual who has been acquitted by a court is unlawful and infringes on the person's dignity and fundamental rights. In the judgment, Justice Abher Gul Khan ruled that once an individual has been acquitted and the order has attained finality, public authorities cannot continue to associate that person with the case. He added that doing so undermines the acquittal, the presumption of innocence, and the basic principles of fairness and dignity. The case was brought by Abdul Rehman Faryad, who sought the removal of an FIR reference from his police character certificate despite being acquitted of kite flying charges by a court. He argued that the continued mention of the FIR, particularly in a document required for overseas travel, effectively portrayed him as a criminal despite a court's clearance. Although a police character certificate was eventually issued to him on March 13, 2025, it still referenced FIR 1254/2024 registered at Nawan Kot Police Station, Lahore. After an application to the Home Secretary went unanswered, the petitioner approached the LHC, which initially directed the government to respond within 15 days. When this failed to happen, he filed a contempt petition. Authorities later responded by citing Police Rules, stating that FIR records must be preserved for 60 years and stored digitally under Rule 24.5 of the Police Rules, 1934, and its 2024 Punjab amendment. They argued that while the FIR could not be deleted, his status had been updated in the Police Station Record Management System to reflect the acquittal. However, the court found this insufficient. Justice Gul noted that while internal record-keeping for administrative purposes is lawful, such records must not be used in a manner that prejudices an individual's rights. 'Once an accused has been acquitted by a competent court of law, he is to be considered, in the eye of the law, entirely absolved of the allegations levelled against him,' the judge stated. Justice Gul ordered the Home Secretary to issue a fresh police character certificate to the petitioner, omitting all references to the FIR and accurately reflecting his acquittal and the absence of any criminal liability.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
South African Lens: Pakistan's Divorce Laws Leave Women in Financial Limbo
As it stands, Pakistan follows a model where property remains separate unless jointly titled—regardless of a woman's unpaid contributions to the household or her support for her husband's career. This issue has been spotlighted in Pakistan's courts. Image: Supplied In many societies, divorce is not just a personal rupture but a financial reckoning — especially for women. This is starkly true in Pakistan, where the legal system fails to recognise a woman's right to marital property, often leaving divorced wives with little more than the clothes on their backs. For South Africans watching global gender justice trends, Pakistan's legal landscape raises urgent questions about how tradition, law and social norms can entrench inequality in the private sphere. Despite Islam's emphasis on justice and the protection of the vulnerable, Pakistani women who exit a marriage often do so without any claim to assets acquired during the relationship. This is because Pakistan does not currently have legislation that guarantees women a share in property accumulated while married. As it stands, the country follows a model where property remains separate unless jointly titled, regardless of a woman's unpaid contributions to the household or her support for her husband's career. This issue has been spotlighted in Pakistan's courts. The Lahore High Court recently instructed the federal government to consult on a proposed amendment to the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance of 1961. The amendment, initially brought forward by Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, introduces terms such as 'matrimonial asset' and seeks to give women fairer recognition of their contributions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The court's intervention may become a turning point, as public discourse grows around the injustice of women leaving long marriages with nothing, despite having raised children, run households and sacrificed careers. To understand the impact, it helps to look beyond Pakistan's borders. Countries such as Turkey, Malaysia and Morocco — Muslim-majority states like Pakistan—have adopted laws that balance Islamic principles with modern family realities. In Turkey, marital assets are presumed to be jointly owned unless otherwise agreed. Malaysia takes both financial and non-financial contributions into account when dividing property. Morocco's Family Code permits couples to decide beforehand how to share property, with the law recognising joint management during the marriage. These countries demonstrate that religious values and women's rights need not be in conflict. Legal frameworks can uphold the dignity and equality of both spouses, particularly when marriages dissolve. Currently, Pakistan's system mirrors what legal scholars call a pure separate property regime. Under this model, property belongs only to the person who earned or acquired it. There is no assumption that marriage creates an economic partnership, and courts generally require strict proof of ownership. This often disadvantages women who have worked in the home or made indirect contributions, as they lack titles or formal income records. South Africa, by contrast, provides multiple options when couples marry, including community of property, which assumes equal ownership of assets acquired during the marriage. This legal approach acknowledges that both spouses contribute to the financial foundation of the household, even if in different ways. South African courts, when dividing property, also take into account each partner's needs, contributions and the duration of the marriage. It is a system far more aligned with the complex social reality of marriage than Pakistan's outdated laws. The cost of inaction in Pakistan is high. Women who divorce often lose access to shelter and income. Even where they have invested years in managing the home or caring for children, the law offers no recourse. Many end up dependent on their families or feel pressured into remarriage for economic survival. This perpetuates gendered cycles of poverty and limits women's agency. Pakistan has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which requires states to ensure equality in marriage and family relations, including property rights. CEDAW's guidance calls for equal access to marital assets. Other Muslim-majority countries have made strides toward compliance. Tunisia and Iran, for instance, have introduced property-sharing rules that acknowledge both partners' roles in a marriage. Pakistan, however, remains out of step. Legal reform is not only a technical matter. It is about recognising that women are equal partners in family life, deserving of financial security when that partnership ends. Amending the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance to define and protect matrimonial property would help courts provide more consistent, fair outcomes. It would also signal that Pakistan is serious about its commitments to gender equality, both to its citizens and the global community. For South Africans, watching this debate unfold is a chance to reflect on how far we have come and how far others still need to go. In a world where women's rights are constantly under pressure, the battle for fairness within the family is as important as any public policy reform. Pakistan stands at a fork in the road. One path leads to continued injustice and economic hardship for women. The other leads to fairness, dignity and the recognition of women's work — paid or unpaid—as valuable and deserving of protection. The choice, now, is in the hands of lawmakers.
