The Sindh High Court has observed that a woman becomes legally free to remarry if her husband remains missing for seven years. The statement came during a hearing of a 14-year-old missing person case in Karachi.
A constitutional bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Yusuf Ali Saeed and Justice Abdul Mubeen Lakho, heard the petition. The case concerns Abdul Rahman, who disappeared in 2011 and has not been traced since then.
The bench called the missing man’s wife to appear in court and asked whether she still wished to continue the petition after such a long period. The judges noted that many years had passed, and all legal forums had already been approached.
According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Syed Nadeem-ul-Haq, Abdul Rahman owned a dupatta shop in Clifton. On 28 November 2011, he received a phone call about a business deal and was asked to come to Mazar-e-Quaid. After he left for the meeting, no one heard from him again. His family later registered an FIR in 2017 at Brigade Police Station, reporting his disappearance and suspected abduction.
Justice Yusuf Ali Saeed remarked that the case had even reached the Supreme Court. He said the court had limited options left since no new information had surfaced in years. The lawyer informed the bench that every possible platform had been approached, but Abdul Rahman could not be found.
The judges asked about ongoing investigations and whether a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had been formed. Justice Abdul Mubeen Lakho also inquired about the children of the missing man. The lawyer replied that Abdul Rahman had three children and that his wife was the one pursuing the petition.
The Sindh High Court repeated its legal position, stating that after seven years of no contact, the wife is legally free. However, the lawyer clarified that the purpose of the petition was recovery, not deciding her marital status.
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The court stressed the importance of hearing the woman’s viewpoint and ordered that she be produced in court. The hearing was adjourned until the first week of February.
