Child will be liable for one-year jail term over eviction of parents, rules LHC

Lahore: In a landmark judgment, the Lahore High Court (LHC) declared eviction of parents as punishable offense under the Parental Protection Ordinance (PPO) 2021 on Monday.

Justice Ali Baqir Najafi issued written judgment on the request of citizens Ali Ikram who accused his son Mian Muhammad Ikram for throwing him out from his house. 

“A child if he is tenant or house owner, could not evict parents from house, and eviction of parents from house will be an offence,” a judgment written by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi read.

“A child will be liable for one-year jail term and fine over eviction of parents,” according to the court verdict.

The LHC made the interpretation of the ordinance that the parents will now have the right to evict their children. On the order of the parents, the children will have to vacate the house within seven days, otherwise, they may face one-month imprisonment.

“It is a punishable offense to evict a parent if the child is the owner or on a rented home,” the court remarked. 

President Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance in May to protect parents from being forcibly evicted by the children as the Parents Protection Ordinance (PPO) 2021 renders the act punishable by jail term or fine or both.

The PPO 2021 also restricts children, who own the property or have rented the space themselves, in forcing out their parents of the house.