THE Supreme Court has delivered a simple but powerful reminder: dower is a wife’s right, not a favour from her husband and certainly not a tool to control her. In a judgement on disputes arising from entries in the nikahnama, the court has made clear that mahr must be paid in good faith, at the agreed time and without conditions that humiliate or pressure a woman. A husband cannot say, in effect, that he will pay only if his wife ‘behaves’ or does not seek divorce. Such terms defeat the very purpose of dower. The ruling matters because what should be a clear legal entitlement is too........

© Dawn