Women share in inheritance: Women lawmakers, religious leaders meeting held

ISLAMABAD: Women lawmakers and religious leaders came together on Tuesday at the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) in Islamabad to push for long-overdue reforms that would protect women from being denied their rightful inheritance.

The meeting was attended by Secretary WPC Dr Shahida Rehmani, Chairperson of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming Dr Nafisa Shah, MNA Syeda Shehla Raza, and Chairman of the Islamic Ideology Council Dr Allama Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi. The participants agreed that while Islamic teachings guarantee women a clear share in inheritance, too many women in Pakistan are still deprived of it in practice.

Speakers stressed that the law must work hand in hand with religion to close this gap. They also called for awareness campaigns, stronger complaint mechanisms, and easier access to justice so women, especially widows, divorced women, and those marginalized within families, are not forced to fight endlessly for what is already theirs by right.

Dr Rehmani described the gathering as “a vital step” toward turning legal promises into lived realities, while Dr Naeemi urged that the principles of the Holy Quran and Sunnah must be put into daily practice. Both lawmakers and religious scholars agreed that protecting women’s inheritance is not only about legal reform but also about dignity, financial security, and social justice.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025