Supreme Court of Pakistan: The Three-Judge Bench of Mian Saqib Nisar, CJ and SH. Azmat Saeed and Ijaz-Ul-Ahsan, JJ. dismissed the appeal filed by a husband challenging the amount awarded to his wife after the dissolution of their marriage.
Appellant (husband) and Respondent 3 (wife) filed a suit for dissolution of marriage vide which their marriage was dissolved. A suit for return of dowry articles was also filed which was decreed by the learned Family Court for an amount of Rs 25,000. The decretal amount was enhanced to Rs 4 lakhs by the First Appellate Court in an appeal filed by Respondent 3. Appellant filed a writ petition in Lahore High Court assailing the order of appellate authority. The petition was partly accepted and amount in lieu of dowry articles was reduced to Rs 3 lakhs. Being still aggrieved, the appellant preferred the instant appeal before this Court.
Learned counsel for the appellant Mr Sarfraz Khan Gondal submitted that the Family Court had granted a decree for a sum of Rs 25,000 with regards to claim for dowry. Hence, in view of Section 14(2) of the Family Courts Act, 1964, no appeal was maintainable against the said Judgment. Therefore, the Judgment and decree of the First Appellate Court were wholly without jurisdiction. Consequently, the impugned order of Lahore High Court partly affirming the same was also liable to be set aside.
Learned counsel for Respondent 3 Mr Mian Shah Abbas contended that the embargo placed on the right of appeal applied only to the husband and not to a wife dissatisfied with the quantum or denial of relief.
The Court noted that Family Courts are a special forum for adjudication of family disputes in accordance with the special procedure set forth in the 1964 Act, purpose whereof is expeditious settlement and disposal of disputes relating to marriage and family affairs.
It was opined that the purpose of curtailing the Right of Appeal under Section 14 of the Act was to avoid the benefits of the decree being tied up in an appeal before a higher forum. However, the said provision could not be interpreted so as to exclude a right of appeal to a wife whose claim of dower or dowry has been partially or entirely declined as it would defeat the purpose and object of the Act and frustrate its beneficial nature. In view thereof, the appeal was dismissed for being devoid of merit.[Saif-ur-Rehman v. Addl. District Judge, Toba Tek Singh, 2018 SCC OnLine Pak SC 19, decided on 17-04- 2018]
