According to the written judgment, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, along with Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Shakeel Ahmed, delivered the verdict, which was authored by Justice Shakeel Ahmed.
The court stated that jewellery, gold, and other wedding gifts given to a bride by parents, relatives, or friends will be treated solely as her personal property. It added that ownership of such gifts depends on the intention and purpose behind giving them.
The judgment further clarified that the husband or in-laws have no legal right to retain, use, or dispose of the bride’s jewellery or dowry-related personal belongings. Holding back such items amounts to depriving the woman of her lawful ownership rights.
The court also noted that if a wife seeks recovery of her jewellery or personal belongings, she can approach the family court, which has full jurisdiction to decide such matters.
Upholding the decision of the Lahore High Court, the Supreme Court dismissed the husband’s appeal and reaffirmed the legal principle that all gifts and jewellery given to a bride at marriage remain her sole and absolute property.
