Govt employee's widow can't be fired from job after second marriage: court

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday made a landmark ruling, declaring that a government employee's widow cannot be terminated from her job after contracting a second marriage.

The verdict was made in response to an appeal filed by Zoya Islam, whose husband was a government servant who passed away.

Ms Islam was appointed as a Naib Qasid in 2020 after her husband's death, as per government policy. 

However, she was dismissed from her position in 2021 after remarrying. 

Later, Zoya approached LHC to challenge her termination from the public sector job.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Chaudhry Iqbal, reviewed the case and issued a written decision today.

The court ruled that the job given to the widow of a government employee cannot be terminated due to her remarriage. 

The decision noted that remarriage is a basic right of women under Islamic law and firing a widow from her job due to second wedding violates Sharia laws.

The court's verdict not only reinstated Zoya Islam's job but also set a precedent for protecting the rights of government employees' widows. 

The decision referenced the Supreme Court's existing judgement on the matter, overturning the single-bench court's decision that initially led to Islam's dismissal.