Family · For citizens
Haq mehr: due on demand.
In short
If the nikahnama gives no details of payment, the whole mehr is payable on demand (Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, section 10). No family paper can take it away from her.
By the FAI Legal editorial desk · 10 October 2026 · 11 slides · 2 min read
Myth or fact?
What families often say.
- Myth: Mehr is only paid if there is a divorce.
- Fact: If the nikahnama gives no details of payment, the whole dower is payable on demand (MFLO s.10).
The rule in the law.
Section 10, Muslim Family Laws Ordinance.
“Where no details about the mode of payment of dower are specified in the nikah nama, or the marriage contract, the entire amount of the dower shall be prescribed to be payable on demand.”
Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 · Section 10, Dower
Deferred mehr.
Lahore High Court, 2023 CLC 1021.
- No date fixedDeferred dower with no time limit falls due on death or divorce.
- Your termsBride and groom are free to settle the dower and its terms.
- The full sumCourts award the entire amount promised in the contract.
Quick quiz. A family paper.
Guess first, then swipe for the answer.
- A. Yes, she signed it
- B. No, such a waiver is void
- C. Yes, if it is registered
Answer: B. It is hers.
Supreme Court, PLD 2024 SC 291.
- Exclusive rightThe wife has an exclusive and absolute right over her dower.
- No paper can waive itAn iqrarnama, agreement or compromise, registered or not, lacks legal validity.
- Her sayShe must be a party to agreements about her rights.
A house as mehr?
Columns 13 to 16 of the nikahnama.
- PLD 2026 SC 20Cash and property can both be agreed as dower. Column headings do not override what the parties intended.
- PLD 2018 Lah. 429A house promised in column 16 as dower must be given.
- PLD 2020 SC 269In-laws' property is not bound unless they agreed. Claim the value from the husband.
Myth or fact?
The khula worry.
- Myth: She took khula, so her mehr is gone.
- Fact: Not automatic. Where his conduct forced her to seek khula, she kept her deferred dower (2025 CLC 1074, Lahore High Court).
Time limit. Three years.
Limitation Act, First Schedule.
- Demanded, refusedThree years from refusal, or from death or divorce if never demanded (Art.103).
- Deferred dowerThree years from death or divorce (Art.104).
- Too lateA claim filed four years after the husband's death was dismissed (2024 MLD 51).
Questions about mehr?
Ask FAI in your own words. It answers with the exact law and the judgments behind it.
- My husband says my mehr is only due after divorce. Is that right?
- Draft a family suit for recovery of dower.
Example questions
What this does not mean
- The on demand rule in s.10 applies where the nikahnama gives no details of how the dower is paid. Deferred dower with no time fixed falls due on death or divorce (2023 CLC 1021).
- Property of the in-laws is not bound as mehr unless they agreed. The wife claims its value from the husband (PLD 2020 SC 269).
- The claim does not last forever. The Limitation Act gives three years (Art. 103 and Art. 104).
Questions people ask
Is haq mehr only paid at the time of divorce?
No. Where the nikahnama gives no details of payment, the whole mehr is payable on demand (MFLO s.10). Deferred dower with no time fixed falls due on death or divorce (2023 CLC 1021).
Can a wife be made to give up her haq mehr in a family agreement?
No. The Supreme Court in PLD 2024 SC 291 said the wife has an exclusive and absolute right over her dower. An iqrarnama, agreement or compromise, registered or not, cannot take it away.
Can a house be given as haq mehr in Pakistan?
Yes. Cash and property can both be agreed as dower (PLD 2026 SC 20). A house promised in column 16 as dower must be given (PLD 2018 Lah. 429).
What is the time limit to claim haq mehr?
Three years. Where mehr was demanded and refused, time runs from the refusal, or from death or divorce if never demanded (Art. 103). For deferred dower, three years from death or divorce (Art. 104).
Does a wife lose her haq mehr if she takes khula?
Not automatically. Where the conduct of the husband forced her to seek khula, she kept her deferred dower (2025 CLC 1074, Lahore High Court).
Sources
- Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 · Section 10
Dower Pakistan Code
Educational legal information, not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts. Speak to a qualified lawyer about your situation. Review status: Pending advocate review. How we check.
