LAHORE: A family court has directed Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal to pay Rs150,000 as interim monthly maintenance allowance to his minor autistic daughter living with her mother.

“Keeping in view the admitted sources of income of defendant and basic needs of the minor plaintiff No 1 tentatively Rs150,000 per month as interim maintenance allowance for the minor plaintiff is hereby fixed,” Judge Shazia Kausar said in the written order of last week hearing on a suit for maintenance filed by the secretary’s second wife Ambreen Sardar and daughter Eiliya Noor.

The judge adjourned further hearing till May 30 with a direction to the plaintiff’s counsel, Mian Dawood, to present evidence in the main suit.

The judge framed two issues to be decided including whether the plaintiffs are entitled to recover maintenance allowance from the defendant if so at what rate and for which period.

The second issue is about the entitlement of the plaintiff, Ms Sardar, to recover delivery expenses of Rs250,000 from the defendant.

Previously, the home secretary had told the court that his second wife was not entitled to maintenance allowance as their marriage stood dissolved following a divorce in 2020.

As far as the issue of the minor was concerned, the defendant claimed to have been paying maintenance of the minor.

The secretary also expressed his willingness to take the custody of the minor if the mother was unable to maintain her properly.

Ms Sadar, who denies the claim of divorce, contended that she married Mr Mengal in 2018 and a daughter namely Eiliya Noor was born out of this wedlock on Nov 19, 2019.

She said the minor was born in a private hospital and all expenses (Rs250,000) incurred on the delivery were paid by her.

She asked the court to recover maintenance allowance from the defendant bureaucrat and also ordered him to ensure regular payments in future.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2024