In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) declared that a married daughter is eligible for a government job in place of her deceased father, setting a precedent for gender equality in employment laws.
The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah. The court accepted the petition of Zahida Parveen, who was denied a job after her father’s death and ruled in her favor.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah stated that marriage has no impact on a woman’s economic independence, questioning why only a son could replace his father in government service while a daughter could not.
The Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) argued that, based on a previous Supreme Court ruling, jobs could not be granted to employees’ children on a preferential basis.
However, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah clarified that the prior ruling applied only to cases from 2024 onwards, whereas this case was filed earlier.
The court strongly criticized the KP government’s stance, questioning under which law a married daughter was deemed ineligible.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that economic autonomy for women must be protected and announced that the Supreme Court will issue a detailed verdict on the matter.
