The Sindh High Court has given an important ruling about marriage in cases where a husband goes missing for a long time.
The court stated that if a woman’s husband has been missing for seven years, she is legally allowed to remarry. This decision was announced during the hearing of a case that has remained unsolved for the past 14 years.
The case is about Abdul Rahman, a shopkeeper from Clifton, who disappeared in 2011. He had gone to Mazar-e-Quaid for what he believed was a business meeting, but he never returned.
His family registered an FIR, and many different investigations were carried out over the years. The case even reached the Supreme Court, but no one has been able to find him or discover what happened to him.
During the recent hearing, the bench headed by Justice Yusuf Ali Saeed and Justice Abdul Mubeen Lakho discussed the legal situation of Rahman’s wife, who has spent many years waiting without any news. The judges said it is very important to listen to the wife’s viewpoint, especially now that so many years have passed without any progress in the case.
The court noted that Islamic law and Pakistani law both recognize that after seven years of a person being missing and untraceable, their spouse can move forward with their life, including the option to remarry.
However, before making any final orders, the court said the wife must be given a proper chance to express her stance. The hearing has been adjourned until February, where more details and the wife’s statement will be reviewed.
This ruling aims to give clarity and relief to families who face long, painful periods of uncertainty when a loved one goes missing.
