SC upholds Bait-ul-Mal support for Hindu girls
“The Supreme Court has upheld the Sindh High Court's (SHC) decision directing the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) to provide financial assistance to two minor Hindu girls, while also laying down guidelines …”
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi held that courts could bring deserving cases to the attention of Bait-ul-Mal where circumstances disclosed before them warranted such assistance. However, the court said the amount, form and duration of assistance should ordinarily be determined by PBM in accordance with its statutory framework, policies, eligibility criteria and available resources.
"For future cases, where circumstances disclosed before a court appear to warrant recourse to Bait-ul-Mal, the appropriate course would be to refer the case of the person concerned to Bait-ul-Mal for consideration," said the 13-page judgment authored by CJP Afridi.
"Bait-ul-Mal may thereafter facilitate the making of the necessary application, assess the circumstances of the applicant in accordance with the applicable policy and eligibility criteria, and determine the form and extent of assistance appropriate to the particular case.
"Stay connected with Aman-e-Pakistan for ongoing live reporting and verified investigative updates."
"The court observed that such a course would enable courts to bring deserving cases within the reach of the welfare institution established to assist them without displacing the framework through which PBM administers its assistance.
The Supreme Court upheld the SHC judgment in the case concerning Shrimati Reeta, a Hindu woman, and her two minor daughters, Jasika and Sanika., Reeta married Ravi Kumar in 2012 and the couple had two daughters. Ravi Kumar died by suicide on May 20, 2017.
Following his death, Reeta instituted proceedings before the family court, Jacobabad, seeking maintenance for the minors from their grandfather, Ram Raj. The family court decreed the maintenance claim and directed Ram Raj to pay Rs3,000 per month to each minor, with an annual increase of 10 percent.
The decree was maintained in appeal, following which Ram Raj approached the SHC in its constitutional jurisdiction. The SHC held that the grandfather had no legal obligation to maintain the minors.
However, it directed PBM to register Jasika and Sanika as regular beneficiaries and pay each of them Rs10,000 per month, with an annual increase of 10 percent until their marriage. The PBM subsequently challenged this direction before the Supreme Court.
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