In a groundbreaking judgment, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared that all gifts and dowry items given to a woman at the time of marriage are solely her property and cannot be taken back. The court denounced the harmful dowry culture, stressing that marriage should be rooted in mutual respect and simplicity. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, in a detailed seven-page verdict, emphasized that only the groom’s haq mehr is a legitimate financial obligation for a woman’s security. He noted that dowry given under pressure undermines gender equality and goes against both constitutional and Islamic principles of justice in marriage.