FSC Declares Women’s Inheritance Rights Denial as ‘Un-Islamic’

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has ruled that any custom denying women their inheritance rights, as granted by the Holy Quran and Sunnah, is un-Islamic and legally void, The Express Tribune reported. The ruling followed a petition by Syeda Fouzia Jalaal Shah, who highlighted the local custom known as “Chaddar” or “Parchi” in Bannu District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which deprives women of their ancestral property rights.

The FSC emphasized the need for state departments, including the Human Rights Commission, to actively combat this social injustice. The court acknowledged that women are often coerced into relinquishing their inheritance rights, a practice referred to as “Haq Bakhshwai.”

While the petition for personal relief was rejected, the court partially accepted the petition, declaring the customs that infringe on women’s inheritance rights as illegal. The court urged authorities to take action against perpetrators under Section 498-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, reinforcing the state’s duty to uphold women’s rights as mandated by Islamic law.