Those evicting parents from home to face jail, fine: LHC

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court ruled on Monday that those evicting their parents from their house would face one-year jail term and fine under the Parents Protection Ordinance (PPO) 2021.

“A person, no matter a tenant or a house owner, cannot evict parents, and eviction will be an offence,” a judgment, written by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi read. Justice Najafi gave the verdict in a case over a petition, filed by one Ali Ikram.

“Parents could expel their children from their home any time. An offspring must leave the house within seven days in such a case; otherwise he/she will have to face one-month jail term,” the court said.

Ali Ikram’s father Mian Muhammad Akram had complained that his son had expelled him from house. He had requested the deputy commissioner for action against his son Ali Ikram. The DC directed father to file a complaint in the court concerned. The LHC set aside the decisions of the deputy commissioner as well as the appellate court.

The bench directed the DC to act according to the court decision in the light of the law concerned. 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 children must leave the house of their parents within 30 days of the written notice issued by the parents and failing to do so might land them in jail for 30 days or a fine on them or both. The deputy commissioner of any district now has the power to move against the children upon complaint by parents.