Pakistan has finally declared that a victim’s body cannot be used to determine whether they have been raped. The Lahore High Court in the case of […]
The Evolving Landscape of Workplace Harassment in Pakistan
Workplace harassment as a concept embodies a pattern of persistent mistreatment based on gender and power. It is deeply intertwined with institutional culture and can function […]
Landmark Judgment on Harassment: Balancing Judicial Interpretation and Legislative Intent
Introduction Harassment laws in Pakistan have been through quite a journey over the past few years. The Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, […]
Legal Soundness of the Decision on Bushra Bibi’s Nikah During Iddat
On 3rd February, 2024, senior Civil Judge Qudrat Ullah in the case titled Khawar Fareed Maneka vs Imran Ahmed Khan and Bushra Bibi, etc. convicted the […]
Supreme Court Affirms Women’s Claim to Haq Mehr at Any Time
In an empowering move, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has recently ruled that women in Pakistan have the right to demand haq mehr at any time […]
Punjab Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act 2021
The concept of women’s legal rights pertaining to property is always called into question in countries like Pakistan. Both Muslim majority and minority countries recognize the […]
Polygamy – Breaking the Self-Made Façade [Part One]
Polygamy remains one of the most stressed about Islamic practices in our society and even though men and women speak of it with the same zeal […]
Dower: Unveiling the Truth – Genuine Protection or Mere Deception?
The discussion around women’s rights under Islamic law still continues and involves various perspectives including those of Islamic legal experts, traditionalists and orientalists who keep engaging […]
Know Your Rights: The Delegated Right to Divorce
The concept of talaq (divorce) within the Pakistani society is often frowned upon and, as per Islamic principles, should be avoided. However, it is no secret […]
India Approves 60 Day Special Maternity Leave in Case of Infant Death
On September the 2nd, 2022, in a welcome move, the Indian government announced a 60-day special maternity leave for women who give birth to stillborn babies […]
From Roe v. Wade to Dobbs v. Jackson: Legal Reasoning and Lawmaking
While the change of opinion of the US Supreme Court from allowing abortion in Roe v. Wade in 1973 to prohibiting it in Dobbs v. Jackson […]
SVRF- A Revolutionary Framework to Eliminate Sexual Violence
The Sexual Violence Response Framework 2020- 2024 (SVRF)[1] has been developed by the Government of Sindh (GoS) with technical support of the Legal Aid Society (LAS).[2] […]
Fighting Rape with Legislative Reform
[TRIGGER WARNING] “Legal language does more than express thoughts. It reinforces certain world views and understanding of events.”[1] The crime of rape is old in age, […]
Sigh of Relief: Two-Finger Test Abolished, Anti-Rape Ordinance Promulgated
Pakistan, after the partition of the subcontinent and its independence from British rule, inherited most of the British legal framework and its practices. An infamous practice […]
Timely Abolishment of the Two-Finger Test Would Have Favoured Mukhtaran Mai’s Rape Appeal – In Conversation with Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan
[TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic Content] Ever since Justice Ayesha Malik ruled in favour of the abolishment of the abhorrent two-finger test in rape cases, I was intrigued […]
No More Dignity Trials
No More Dignity Trials Lamented as a colonial relic but also labeled as pejorative and contemptuous, the “two finger test” has been used to ascertain whether […]
What the LHC Decision on the Virginity Test Means
The mere thought of a traumatized female rape victim having to go through something as gruesome as the compulsory two-finger virginity test is enough to send […]