In a landmark ruling affirming the rights of widows, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared that remarriage cannot be a valid reason to terminate a widow’s job acquired under a government assistance scheme.

The court emphasised that widows, like all citizens, have equal rights to employment, dignity, equality, and autonomy.

The five-page verdict was authored by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who underscored that dismissing a widow based on remarriage constitutes gender discrimination and violates Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.

The court highlighted that a woman’s identity should not be tied to her husband and that financial independence is a core component of constitutional identity for women. It declared that such dismissals, often enforced through office memoranda, are unconstitutional and violate international human rights conventions.

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“This court has previously ruled against discriminatory actions in similar cases, such as the Zahida Parveen case,” the verdict noted. The justices clarified that remarriage does not nullify a widow’s eligibility for employment granted through compensatory schemes.

The Supreme Court also stated that widowhood must not be treated as a symbol of deprivation or lower status, and that widows are entitled to the same respect and rights as any other citizen.

The ruling rejected the appeals filed by the Chief Commissioner and Regional Tax Officer Bahawalpur, upholding the Lahore High Court’s earlier decision in favour of the widow. The apex court noted that it found no justification to overturn the high court’s judgment.

This decision sets a significant precedent for the protection of women’s employment rights, particularly those employed under government support programs following a spouse’s death.

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